


The Limits of Being

by A_Hotbed_of_Roses



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Blow Jobs, Canon Compliant, Cunnilingus, Domestic Bliss, Exhibitionism, F/F, First Time, Flora (She-Ra) - Freeform, Kid Fic, Lesbian Disaster Scorpia (She-Ra), Masturbation, No Lesbians Die, No penetration, Nudism, Oral Sex, Perfuma isn’t perfect, Post-Season 5, Scorfuma, Scorfuma child, Slow Burn, Trans Female Character, Trans Perfuma (She-Ra), What are Tags?, but she still deserves the best, guys we need to protect Scorpia, i wrote this instead of living, other ships are background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:13:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27568825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Hotbed_of_Roses/pseuds/A_Hotbed_of_Roses
Summary: A certain long-suffering Scorpion's journey to finding happiness.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 109





	1. The Limits of Being in Love

Scorpia woke up with a yawn.

Her alarm didn’t go off; she didn’t actually keep an alarm.

Ever since she’d moved to Bright Moon in a semi-permanent capacity, she’d allowed herself to awake with the rising sun. It was not something Perfuma had actually recommended, but it seemed like something Perfuma would do.

“Today is going to be great!” she told herself, stretching, accidentally knocking her stuffed scorpion off the shelf behind her with her tail in the process.

“Whoops!” she lunged to grab it; thankfully it gently landed in the scoop she’d made with her claws.

“That’s right, momma’s got you,” she said, placing the scorpion gently back on the shelf, next to the thankfully-unharmed photo of her mothers. She’d managed to have it, and most of her other belongings, recovered from the Fright Zone.

She sat up in bed, adjusting her eyes and yawning again.

“Right!” she realized, “I need to put the kettle on!”

Not knowing how long she would be staying, Scorpia hadn’t requested much furnishings for her room. But after learning about Perfuma’s morning tea ceremonies, she’d requested a kettle, a tea pot, and some tea leaves from King Micah, who was happy to oblige. She’d learned to work the kettle in no time.

She was not yet an expert on making the stuff, and she was horribly afraid of damaging the ceramic pot and the little mugs that came with it, but it was nice knowing that she was doing something with Perfuma, even if they weren’t *together* together.

Would they ever be _together-_ together?

Things were getting steadily—if ‘steadily’ was the right word—more provocative between the two of them. A compliment here, a light touch there. But nothing had been beyond the bounds of what Scorpia assumed to be friendship.

‘Perfuma’s a good friend, but does she really want little ol’ _me?’_ Scorpia wondered. ‘We’re just so _different_ , that’s all. She’s so vivacious and untethered and I… give good hugs.’

There was more to life than muscly hugs, Scorpia was sure of it. Besides, Perfuma could really rock a dress, but she wasn’t _Catra._ Scorpia did not want to admit it, but… she wasn’t over Catra. Oh, she knew Catra was doing fine; Catra was doing great, but…

Scorpia hadn’t been the one to fix her. Not that there was anything wrong with that! Catra had needed a lot of love, and Scorpia was sure she had given her fair share of it, but…

She knew she wasn’t enough. Not for someone like Perfuma. She could open up about her loneliness, her opinions, nearly anything else, but not this… She didn’t want to tell Perfuma about these feelings. Scorpia could already hear her voice inside her head.

‘That’s not true at all!’ Perfuma would exclaim, before proceeding to tell her exactly where these feelings needed to go and what she needed to do with them. Maybe Scorpia wanted to figure out where they went herself? Was it so much to ask to be able to feel good on her own? She could tell, from what she could see, that Perfuma wanted to help everyone. And that was great! Scorpia wanted to help everyone too! But… it would be strange for Scorpia to keep Perfuma all to herself and that… that was what she wanted, right now. Perfuma had a lot of love to give and Scorpia… didn’t deserve to keep the greater portion of it to herself, if Perfuma wanted to give that much at all.

Ah, but she couldn’t let that get her down right now! Perfuma still needed a good friend to help her through this! Between the clones, couple’s counseling for Catra and Adora, and regular check-ins on Entrapta and Hordak, Perfuma had a full plate. And if there was any muscling to be done… Scorpia could be the muscle!

* * *

After leaving her room, Scorpia was greeted by a rough tackle from her left, courtesy of a pint-sized Princess dressed in all blue.

“Uhf” Scorpia grunted, falling to the ground.

“Too slow!” Frosta said, leaping off of Scorpia with boundless energy. “You let your guard down, you get tackled!”

Scorpia picked herself up and smoothed out her pants.

“So, what are you doing today?” Frosta asked with enthusiasm, “zapping Horde soldiers?” Frosta pointed to the side while making a laser noise, then clasped at her throat whist shaking, pretending to be electrocuted.

“Uh, we beat the Horde, remember?”

“Yeah, I know,” Frosta said, “but there’s got to be _some_ bad guys out there who need to be taught a lesson!” She said, forming ice around her fists and punched them together.

“I’m sure there are, kiddo, but maybe we could take it a step down a notch? Ice ball, maybe?”

“…okay…” Frosta said, disappointed, “but ‘kiddo,’ really?”

“Actually, the only thing I really planned on doing today was checking in on Perfuma’s clinic. But I don’t need to go right away, so I think I have time for one or two games.”

Perfuma had set up temporary shop just outside of Bright Moon, right on the edge of the Whispering Woods. It had began as a sort of tent-thing, but was now growing into a hostel-turned-community centre.

“What are we waiting for then?” Frosta exclaimed, running for the yard outside of Bright Moon. Scorpia smiled and ran after her.

 _I hope she doesn’t tire me out,_ Scorpia thought, _but knowing Frosta…_

* * *

Once Frosta managed to tire herself out, Scorpia slipped away to see Perfuma.

Perfuma’s ‘office,’ if it could be called that, was a series of meditation chambers, built out of and decorated to the nines with plant-life. And Perfuma’s client list (which would soon have to be curated more selectively) was booked full. As Scorpia approached “Bouquet of Remedies” (as it was called, a sign with a pot of smiling flowers adorning the front door), she could tell Perfuma was alone.

Normally, when Perfuma was with a client, Scorpia could tell; hushed voices, breathing, and of course a bright “please do not disturb” sign posted on the curtain acting as a door. In those cases, Scorpia waited what she thought to be good distance outside. She didn’t want to overhear anything she wasn’t supposed to. Maybe she should ask Entrapta to develop some sound-cancelling walls if they ever renovated? Scorpia made a mental note of it.

Right now, though, the curtain was still drawn, but Scorpia couldn’t hear any voices, and the sign was nowhere to be seen. Scorpia, surprisingly, hadn’t made it on to Perfuma’s client list; she would usually just swing around to check on Perfuma after her ‘working hours’ were over. This used to be around 4 in the afternoon, but now Perfuma was pushing 5 or 5:30. In her first few days coming by, Scorpia would barge rather unceremoniously right in; luckily she’d never walked in on a client. Although the first couple of times Perfuma feigned enthusiasm at Scorpia’s presence, it didn’t take a therapist (as Scorpia would learn the technical term as called) to notice that Perfuma was _tired_. Bags appeared under her eyes, and her normally upright posture had become… droopy.

“How was it today?” Scorpia had asked, “Were there any breakthroughs? Anyone realize their lifelong ambition to

“No,” Perfuma had managed in the nicest tone possible, “Entrapta and Hordak were…. Stressful. Quite frankly, even if I allowed myself to, I wouldn’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh, okay,” Scorpia said, “is there anything you want to do? Take your mind off it all? I’ve heard there are these really crazy cloud-beach thingies in Mystacore and—”

“I’m sorry, Scorpia,” Perfuma looked at her pleadingly, “it’s not that I don’t want to, but I’m _beat_. I think I need to lie down.”

“Oh, alright,” said Scorpia, “beat, but not beaten, right?”

Her pun had restored a tiny twinkle to Perfuma’s eye.

“Yes” Perfuma smiled, “beat, but not beaten!” She held Scorpia’s claw tenderly, “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? I promise. I’ll make it up to you.”

“Oh, no, that’s…. that’s okay. To be honest you didn’t really promise to do anything with me today anyway so it’s not exactly like I have any leg to stand on… disappointment-wise, I mean. My legs are fine! So far as I know…”

Scorpia, not exactly sure what to do with herself, promptly stretched and inspected her legs.

“Well, okay, as long as you’re not disappointed…” Perfuma waved goodbye. Scorpia could almost swear the wave was sultry. At least Scorpia _remembered_ it as sultry. It was probably her memory playing tricks on her. Perfuma had been _very_ tired, she reminded herself, and there was no real reason for her to waste energy being flirty.

Scorpia’s visits the days following that had reaped… very similar results. She had learned well enough from Catra what she was doing… making Perfuma uncomfortable. Scorpia had tried to tone it down but couldn’t help it. She was… always enthusiastic to see Perfuma, even when Perfuma wasn’t exactly thrilled to see her.

As a result, Scorpia had taken to waiting outside Perfuma’s office at closing time, whether Perfuma was with a client or not. Perfuma needed her alone time! And she was entitled to have it! Scorpia had plenty of alone time, but if it suddenly dried up, she could imagine that she would get pretty irritable fairly fast. So, she’d just wait outside, let Perfuma clear her head and when she was ready be there for her. This system wasn’t exactly great, even by Scorpia’s standards, but she didn’t seem to get on Perfuma’s nerves as much this way, and that had to count for something.

“Ooh, who’s this waiting for me?”

Scorpia turned around at the sound of Perfuma’s voice and couldn’t suppress a blush at the sight of Perfuma’s smile.

“Just me!” said Scorpia with the wave of a claw, trying to act cool. _Why am I trying to act cool?_ Scorpia wondered. At the reunion banquet after the war, Catra had observed, rather rightly, that Scorpia was ‘about as smooth as Adora,’ eliciting a bemused ‘hey’ from Adora. Everyone had laughed, even Scorpia, who was blushing at the time, for no apparent reason. Perfuma knew she wasn’t cool. Why was she trying to hide it?

“I’m feeling much better today. I think we’re actually getting somewhere!” Perfuma said with a squee.

“Who’s ‘we’?” asked Scorpia absent-mindedly, before remembering—

“Princess-Patient Confidentiality!” smiled Perfuma, “so I can’t tell you, but I can say that I do not feel like smashing my head against a wall today, and that warrants celebration!”

Spending the evening with the most beautiful Princess in Etheria was celebration enough for Scorpia, but she didn’t say it.

* * *

“Oh great, _there_ you are!” said a relieved Scorpia, trying to catch her breath.

She had finally tracked down Emily, who, despite being a robot whose language Scorpia couldn’t begin to understand, had managed to become Scorpia’s second-best friend in Bright Moon. The feeling, though, didn’t seem mutual, as Emily desperately attempted to crawl away from her as Scorpia picked her up and brought her into a dark hall-closet.

“Look,” Scorpia said, setting the robot down again, “I’m sure Entrapta has a lot of useful work for you to do right now, but I need some advice.”

Emily beeped.

“Or maybe I just need someone to talk to. Either way, this stays confidential, got it?”

Emily beeped again.

“Thank goodness, I knew I could count on you. Now listen, I have a habit of getting into these ambiguous situations where I’m with someone but we’re not really on the same page. Remember me and Catra?”

Emily chirped in seeming agreement.

“Yeah, so that’s happening again. But not with Catra. Adora would probably be pretty peeved about that,” added Scorpia under her breath. “Look, these friendships are great and all, but I don’t want to misunderstand how things are going this time. I’ve never done this before so maybe I just don’t know what it looks like.”

Emily gave a low beep, with Scorpia took as confusion.

“Right, I should probably be more specific. So, I think Perfuma _might_ be flirting with me.”

Scorpia had not actually said that part out loud before, and immediately shut herself up to see if she could hear anyone outside the closet who might overhear her. Silence. No shadows. She seemed good-to-go.

“But I don’t know if she really is or not. Or maybe she is, and she flirts with everyone like that when she’s one-on-one. As I said, I don’t really know. So, I thought I might ask, does Perfuma flirt with you?”

Emily gave another confused beep.

“Okaaay, so this is the part where I realize that I might need to actually understand you. Got it. I don’t think Perfuma’s really into robots anyway. But you never know!”

Emily gave an encouraging whistle.

“You’re right, I should ask Entrapta! She probably spends more time with Perfuma than you do and I can mostly understand what she says, so she’s gonna be a lot more useful. Thanks Emily!”

Emily beeped again as Scorpia stumbled out into the hallway again, Emily held neatly under Scorpia’s arm. A guard walked by just as Scorpia stepped outside, and a cavalcade of cleaning supplies fell out of the closet following Scorpia’s departure. The guard eyed her and the robot suspiciously.

“Just putting this stuff away, officer,” said Scorpia cheerfully, attempting to return a broom where it belonged as more clutter fell out of the closet, and Emily still tucked under one arm.

“…Right” said the guard, who walked by without incident.

“Whew!” said Scorpia, dropping the broom, right as more cleaning supplies fell out of the closet onto her head.

* * *

“Gah! Just a second,” said Entrapta’s voice over intercom, “we’re a _tad_ busy at the moment.”

Scorpia stood outside the door of Prime’s ship, where Entrapta and Hordak had been tasked with salvaging any technology that could be repurposed for aims other than interplanetary conquest.

Bow had been tasked with keeping them in check.

It was proving, as Perfuma would have said, a challenge.

Scorpia stared at the steeled door before her. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all? Vibe checks with Entrapta didn’t always go so well.

On the other hand, Scorpia didn’t really feel comfortable asking any of the other Princesses (and Frosta wasn’t going to be of any help in this department besides); unlike say, Mermista, Entrapta would probably think nothing of her enquiry.

Probably.

“Okay, you’re good to go!” said Entrapta’s voice over loudspeaker. The door to the now foliage-encrusted ship creaked open, and Scorpia was greeted with the shadow of Entrapta waiting inside.

“Oh good, you brought Emily!” exclaimed Entrapta as the tiny bot crawled over to Entrapta, “was wondering where you’d gone off to.”

“How are the experiments going?” Scorpia asked. Maybe she wouldn’t have to bring it up if it didn’t come naturally.

“Oh it’s _fantastic_! Prime managed to develop a lot of tech, most of it lightyears ahead of what I’m used to working on.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t believe that,” said the voice of Hordak, coming up behind Entrapta, “you’ve built trinkets more advanced than some of Prime’s systems.”

Entrapta blushed.

“Lord Hordak!” Scorpia exclaimed, surpassing a bow. Nobody except Entrapta really had a handle on how to act around this new Hordak. No doubt that was the source of at least some of Perfuma’s frustrations.

“Just Hordak, if it is all the same to you, Force Capt—I mean, _Princess_ Scorpia. Admittedly, there are many systems on this ship unknown to Etheria. That has been in no small part our trouble.”

“I don’t get it,” Scorpia scratched her head, “isn’t that what you’re looking for?”

“To a degree, yes,” said Hordak, “but the problem is—”

“The problem is,” said a now-appearing Bow, who was looking down at his data-pad while simultaneously brushing tech scraps off of himself, “that a lot of this stuff can’t be repurposed to any positive use. I mean, I don’t know how that green vat fluid works, and I don’t want to know.”

“There are things on this ship that Etheria is better off without,” said Hordak.

“But you’re not on that list, are you honey?” Entrapta said.

Hordak sighed and blushed.

“I told you not to call me that when there are others present,” he whispered. Entrapta ignored him.

“Can I speak to Entrapta for a second?” Scorpia asked before the two started bickering… or whatever it was they would get into.

“By all means,” said Hordak, who seemed to regard this request as a mercy for his dignity.

Scorpia led an uncertain Entrapta outside.

“What do you need?” Entrapta asked, “I don’t mind helping, but I’m _very_ busy with Hordak right now.”

“Got it, I understand, I just need to ask you one or two quick… research inquiries.” Scorpia decided this would probably more effective if she had Entrapta’s attention.

“Research inquiries? What ideas do you have? Should I get my datapad?”

“Oh, they’re, they’re probably not good enough for that. I’m just kinda spitballing right now.”

“Fire ‘em at me!”

“Okay, the first one is pretty simple. Perfuma’s clinic—I guess it’s a clinic, I don’t really have a better name for it right now. Whatever. The walls of Perfuma’s clinic are a bit thin, especially with those curtain doors. I was wondering if you could develop some sound-proof material that would make it harder for somebody to overhear what someone was saying inside.”

Entrapta looked like she was taking mental notes.

“I could do that!” said Entrapta, “it might take a while; as I said, I’m very busy, but it seems doable to me. Are you looking to replace the walls entirely or just reinforce the ones that are there?”

“Uh, not really sure” Scorpia admitted, “I haven’t smoothed things over with Perfuma yet. I guess I thought I’d see if it was possible first.”

“Oh it’s definitely possible. I’ll work on both options and get back to you as soon as I can. You can run it by Perfuma anytime and see which version she prefers.”

“That sounds great, thanks Entrapta!” Scorpia turned like she was about to leave.

“Wasn’t there a second thing?” Entrapta asked.

“A second thing?”

“You said you had two research inquiries. What was the second one?”

“Right, _that.”_ Scorpia laughed, “you… you can forget about that one.”

“No really, what is it? I’m not stupid, Scorpia.”

“I… I didn’t say you were!” said Scorpia, “Or at least I didn’t mean to! I’m _so_ sorry if I did. I really need to be more considerate—”

“Apology accepted!” Entrapta said cheerfully, “now what’s this second idea?”

“It’s… not really an idea. Just a question. You know Perfuma, right?”

“Of course, Hordak and I see her every week. Or every other week. Something like that. Hordak has a lot more invested in the appointments than I do. Anyways, what do you need to know?”

“Geez, this is hard to say out loud. Has, has Perfuma ever flirted with you?”

“Flirted?”

“You know, has she ever tried to be funny or cute in, like, a provocative way?” Scorpia realized this was getting her nowhere. “Has she ever acted like Hordak acts around you?”

“Like Hordak, hmn… Do you mean in the sad way or the enthusiastic way?”

Scorpia… didn’t exactly want to know what either of those meant in detail and didn’t want to ask for clarification.

“The enthusiastic way, I think.”

“Well… she seems happy that Hordak’s taking notes, and she always acts super friendly when we arrive, though that… isn’t always the case after we leave, I think.”

“So, not that enthusiastic, it seems?”

Nope! Don’t think so, although admittedly I don’t pay much attention when we go there. Why are you asking, anyway?”

“Oh, no reason! Just checking to see how you’re doing, I guess. Want to make sure nobody’s getting on anybody’s nerves.”

“Well, I’m doing _fantastic_. I wouldn’t worry too much about me; Perfuma hasn’t really been angry with me at all, and she apologizes every now and then, just in case I think.”

“Okay then! It was nice catching up with you, Entrapta.”

“Okay! I’ll let you know about those walls. Who knows? Maybe Prime’s ship already has something like that on it already! Wouldn’t that be fascinating?”

Scorpia smiled and waved goodbye, but by then Entrapta was already making her way back inside the ship, her mind working a mile a minute.

“Hordak! Oh good, there you are. Scorpia has led me to this very interesting idea…” Scorpia could hear Entrapta’s voice trail off as she walked away.

‘That probably could have gone better,’ Scorpia thought as she returned to Bright Moon, ‘but I don’t think it went badly, and at least I’ve started on that wall thing. I mean, Mermista says I’m not great at keeping secrets, so it’s only a matter of time before I repeat something I wasn’t supposed to overhear.’

‘Maybe I should let this whole thing go. I’m not… unhappy with things as they are now. Things are great! Things are better than they ever have been!

‘I mean, so what if Perfuma _is_ flirting? Flirting doesn’t have to mean anything. And even if she isn’t flirting with anyone else…’ There was no guarantee.

There are other things to focus on. This sort of thing could wait.’

Like it had been waiting.

For years now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is ready for #justice for Scorfuma! I haven't seen a lot of longform work on this ship, so I thought I might try my hand at it. 
> 
> The first five chapters (all about the same length as this one) have been drafted, and if there's demand, I'll post one a day. If everyone agrees there needs to be extensive revision (OOC, etc.) I'll try one a week after editing.
> 
> I'm aiming for 7-8 chapters, so we'll see what happens ;)


	2. The Limits of Being a Therapist

“I _need_ to get back to Plumeria,” said Perfuma.

She was alone, mercifully, thankfully, alone.

Working on breakthroughs with Entrapta and Hordak was, to put it mildly, a challenge.

‘Relax,” she told herself. All she had to do was find her center, and it would be alright.

Unfortunately, ever since she’d set up base outside Plumeria, she’d had a much harder time _finding_ her center. She could feel her energy going about in all different directions. She had attributed it to being so far away from her Runestone. But she was starting to have her doubts.

‘Scorpia seems get along just fine despite the distance between her and the Black Garnet,’ she observed.

Maybe it was all finally getting to her. There had been moments before, sure, where she felt she just _couldn’t_ , but they didn’t last as long as this spell, or whatever it was, did.

She should not have volunteered to help the clones. Hordak and Entrapta had promised to take care of the bulk of them, to be fair, but with both of them busy at the moment, and given the sheer number of distressed clones, Perfuma felt she had no other choice.

It was not that the problems the clones brought weren’t easy to solve. Most of them simply needed a direction in life that didn’t involve Horde Prime and the Hivemind. It was simply the sheer number. And the fact that Perfuma insisted, for her own sake, on follow-up appointments for all of them, even for the clones who seemed to be doing okay. Like Wrong Hordak.

That and hearing existential crises of faith for hours on end, day after day, week after week was not exactly the best vibe to have if she was to continue to be of help to anyone.

Ugh! She needed to relax. She needed to _breathe_. But breathing only brought her attention to how much her clinic did not smell like Plumeria. Plumeria was _alive_. The smell of growing things; trees, insects, animals, wildflowers… Perfuma’s clinic, by contrast, smelled like what she imagined Entrapta’s workshop smelled like.

Only she _knew_ Entrapta’s workshop would somehow smell even more devoid of life than this.

Which, at the very least, she could spin as a positive. At least her meetings with Hordak and Entrapta weren’t house calls to Prime’s ship. A shudder went through her.

“Maybe I need a vacation,” Perfuma said aloud.

“Well, what’s stopping you?” said a familiar voice behind the curtain outside.

“Scorpia! When did you get here?”

“Sorry!” said Scorpia, as if she’d dropped something, poking her head inside the curtain, “I’d promised myself not to interrupt in case you were with somebody.”

“Well, don’t be sorry! Luckily for you, you’re not interrupting anything right now. Come on, sit!”

“Great!” said a relieved Scorpia.

Scorpia sat restlessly on a small cushion placed on the floor of Perfuma’s office. It was slightly too small for an average-sized Scorpioni. And from what she knew about Scorpioni (which was, admittedly, not very much), Scorpia was _not_ an average-sized Scorpioni.

After fumbling and trying to hold the cushion in place underneath her, Scorpia gave up and sat on the floor, setting the pillow aside and giving it a gentle pat with her claw.

Scorpia twiddled her claws together and glanced out the window. She would try whistling, but she didn’t know if she could whistle. She could sing; did that mean she’d be a good whistler?

“So?” Perfuma asked.

“So what?” Scorpia asked, “did I forget something? Oh, I forgot something, didn’t I? Don’t-don’t tell me what it is, I’ll figure it out! Let’s see—”

“No, I mean, what are you thinking about? How was your day? That sort of thing.”

“My day? Well…” Scorpia couldn’t exactly mention her little quest without giving anything away.

“What did you get up to?”

“Oh, you mean that sort of thing. Well, I was talking to Entrapta today—” Scorpia began.

“How is she doing? Is she doing alright? Is she upset? I knew she’d be upset. I _knew_ I was being a terrible friend. Why am I like this, Scorpia? Why—?”

“Woah, slow down,” Scorpia said, “she told me not to worry about any of that; that you were doing great. Besides, we mostly talked about tech, anyway.”

“She said I was doing great?”

“Yep! Straight from the horse’s mouth. Is that how that expression goes? We didn’t have horses in the Horde, so I’ve never really used it before. To clarify, I’m not talking about Swift Wind.”

“That’s… encouraging,” said Perfuma sadly, “I just hope that… I’m not sending the wrong message.”

“Well, you have my complete confidence as a friend” _or something more,_ Scorpia added in her head.

“So, what did you two end up talking about?”

“Oh right, so, I had this idea. I don’t mean to brag, but I think it’s pretty good. So, I’m worried about overhearing you with your clients, since Mermista thinks I’m bad with secrets—”

“Why does Mermista think you’re bad with secrets?”

“I _may—_ and by ‘may’ I mean definitely—have spoiled the latest Mermystery novel to her before she had a chance to read it.”

“Oh no…” Perfuma clasped her hand to her mouth.

“And then right after she said ‘wow, you are like, _terrible_ at keeping secrets’, or something like that” Scorpia attempted to imitate Mermista’s usual… caustic tone, to which Perfuma could not help but start giggling; her face, so knotted up before, began to come loose. And Perfuma’s laughter was infectious. Scorpia couldn’t help but join in as well. This was nice… just this was… _enough_ of what she wanted. Asking for more… why would she ask for more when she didn’t know what ‘more’ really was?

“Wow, Scorpia,” Perfuma began, “why were you even reading Mermysteries anyway?”

“Well, Sea Hawk lent some of them to me… I later learned they were Mermista’s copies… and he hadn’t _actually_ gotten her permission beforehand. But what can I say? I was hooked!”

“Was… was that a pun?”

“What?”

“ ‘Hooked,’ as in fishing?”

“I… don’t think so? What’s fishing?”

“Well, I haven’t really tried it—and I don’t think I’d care to, either—but some people for either sustenance or relaxation try to catch fish out of the water with bait.”

“Oh, I see! And since Mermista lives in Salineas…”

“Now you’re getting it!”

“Got it! Right… Man the Horde… the Horde did not prepare a gal for the real world, did it? I mean, I say I love boats and I don’t even know about fishing? I didn’t know about my connection to the Black Garnet; I certainly don’t know anything about _dating_ …”

“Dating?” Perfuma’s ears perked up at the word. Scorpia had said it without even thinking. Why was she like this? She had just told herself she wasn’t going to bark up these kinds of trees!

“Is there someone you’re trying to date?” Perfuma asked.

“N-no?” Scorpia said innocently.

“Ooh, that means there definitely is!” Perfuma said excitedly, “who are they? Are they part of the Rebellion?”

“Look, it’s fine, Perfuma,” Scorpia said, “I have to learn to accept that it’s too late to try some things.”

“Scorpia… That’s not true! It’s never too late to learn something new, even dating. You’re right that the Horde didn’t exactly teach you everything you need to know but look how far you’ve come in just the past few months. You’ve got a big heart, Scorpia; if you want this there’s no reason not to try. Besides, now that I know about this I won’t stop until I’ve got you your first date with this mystery person!”

Mentally, Perfuma had dropped everything. Amidst a tract of desert of unfulfilling work she had found an oasis. Helping Scorpia with this would be the perfect pet project. She could tell Scorpia was lying about there not being someone; Scorpia couldn’t tell a lie any better than she could keep a secret. This was exactly what she’d been missing working with the clones, with Entrapta and Hordak; even with Adora and Catra. Those projects were messy, amorphous, and… without an end in sight. By contrast this… this could increase Scorpia’s happiness and fulfillment _right now._ And even if it didn’t work out with the person Scorpia had set her eyes on, she would have so much more experience, so much more…

“Perfuma…” Scorpia began, not knowing what to say, “that’s really sweet, but trust me, I don’t really need any help with this. I’m still… not ready. I don’t feel exactly… mature, enough yet. I don’t know what it is. It’s not the Horde; I’m using that as a crutch. It’s just me. I don’t know…”

“Oh.” Perfuma said, Scorpia’s words halting the breaks on thoughts.

“Besides, you’ve got your hands busy with all those clients right now. I know you don’t need another project; especially one involving me.”

_No no no no no,_ Perfuma thought, _another project is_ exactly _what I need right now. A fun, Scorpia-filled project._

“And I know I can be pretty uncomfortable to work with after a day on the rocks,” said Scorpia.

_Was Scorpia talking about when she came by after work?_ Perfuma wondered.

“Oh, Scorpia, that’s not… that’s not what happened at all! I was never uncomfortable,” Perfuma insisted, “okay, I _was_ uncomfortable, but you never made me feel uncomfortable at all, Scorpia. I don’t think you ever could, but if you did, I’d tell you, okay?”

Scorpia nodded.

“It’s just… I _know_ I was disappointing you, Scorpia. You can hardly hide anything on that beautiful face.”

“More than you might think!” Scorpia smiled.

“Well, it’s just… I hate seeing you disappointed, Scorpia. The world has disappointed you enough. And I would want nothing more than to spend more time with you… After those first couple of times, I just felt so _guilty_. I didn’t know how I even could make it up to you.”

Scorpia placed a claw gently on Perfuma’s shoulder.

“Perfuma, it shouldn’t have to be your job to make the world up to me. You’re not responsible for me. Besides, I’ve done some pretty rotten stuff in the past too. If I was smart I would have signed up as one of your clients when you started taking openings, so it’s really my fault.”

“Sweety, you mean so much more to me than just a client. _You_ shouldn’t have to book an appointment just to spend time with me.”

“Well, weren’t you just talking about taking a vacation? Maybe we could do that?”

“Truth be told,” Perfuma said, “all I really want to do is get back to Plumeria.”

Scorpia’s heart sank. Of course Perfuma would be thinking of her people. She wasn’t asking for a lot, was she? She had set her sights on just being friends and now… now Perfuma would be moving away. She couldn’t exactly go with her without being conspicuous, could she?

“Oh yeah, I’d imagine Plumeria is in need of some rebuilding too, huh?”

“Oh no! We were actually very fortunate in that there’s not much we need to rebuilt. Honestly, it’s just this place. I feel so… disconnected in this clinic.”

“Ooh, that was what I was talking to Entrapta about!” exclaimed Scorpia, remembering why she came, “well, sort of. I was thinking renovations to the clinic! So my idea—”

“Right, your idea!” Perfuma had almost forgotten. She’d basically interrupted Scorpia the whole time she was talking, didn’t she? She was still treating her like a patient, not a friend. Perfuma tried not to frown, knowing it would distract Scorpia a second time.

“So, since I’m bad with secrets, I thought I’d ask Entrapta to develop some sound-proof walls, so I don’t overhear anything by accident!”

“And you ran this by Entrapta?”

“Oh yeah! She says it’s perfectly doable; she’s gonna figure out one way where we just add on to the existing walls and another where we replace them altogether.”

“Interesting…” said Perfuma, “I don’t doubt it’s a good idea, but I don’t know if new walls will be enough to get ride of the funk I’ve developed out here.”

“Well, if we’re getting rid of the walls anyway, it’s the perfect time to change up some other things. We could add some of the things you’re missing in Plumeria!”

“Hmn. Maybe I can salvage this clinic… it is doing people some good, I definitely know that, and maybe… Tell you what, Scorpia, I have an idea!”

“Ooh, is it better than sound-proof walls?”

“Maybe…” Perfuma said slyly, “you’ll have to tell me after I finish. What if you and I go to Plumeria *on vacation* to scout out renovations to my clinic while Entrapta develops your walls?”

“That sounds perfect!” Scorpia answered without even thinking.

“Oh, this is great,” Perfuma said, relieved, “I can get away from all… this… without giving up on it entirely.”

“So, when do you want to go?”

“Well, I only have one actual appointment tomorrow, which should be easy enough to rebook. Really, we could leave the day after tomorrow, or even tomorrow evening.” Perfuma seemed to be planning this all out in her head in Scorpia’s estimation. “Unless that’s too sudden for you?”

“Sudden? Pshaw, no way! I am the _master_ of spontaneity. It’s actually my middle name! Got nobody here to tie me down.” _Except you,_ she wanted to add.

“Really, ‘Spontaneity’ is your middle name?” Perfuma gave her a skeptical look.

Scorpia looked down.

“No,” she gulped, “I don’t think I actually have a middle name. Or a last name. I mean, my moms were royalty, so we didn’t really use last names. And I suppose technically you need to have a last name to have a middle name… Do you have a middle name?”

“Nope!” Perfuma said cheerfully, “I think my family ran on the same logic.”

“Well, it’s not fair that everyone else gets two extra names and we don’t!” said Scorpia, “wait, I have an idea! What if ‘Spontaneity’ is Lynda D’ream’s middle name? Huh? Tara can have her own middle and last names too! Let me think…”

“As fun as that may be,” Perfuma said, “I don’t think we’ll be needing those identities again anytime soon.”

“Well, you might not, but Lynda’s been asked to come back to the Enchanted Grotto next year after they get done rebuilding it. I should really get back to them on that…”

“You’ve got another gig?” Perfuma beamed, “That’s wonderful! You have to reply to them asap! I knew my Scorpia’s singing career would take off.”

“Admittedly everyone there except you was chipped, so I don’t think we can exactly trust their judgement.”

“Scorpia, a call back’s a call back. You have to just take it! Grab onto it with your life!”

“Did you ever try to become a singer?”

Perfuma hung her head.

“Maybe…”

“I take it that it didn’t go well?”

Perfuma simply shook her head.

“Come here, you need a hug!”

Her head still down, Perfuma stepped into Scorpia’s open arms. A hug would be great. A vacation would be even better. To get away from all of it except for Scorpia. She didn’t want to get away from Scorpia.

* * *

In no time, Scorpia had her bags packed and was almost ready to go.

“Should I take my tea stuff or is Perfuma going to have all that kitchen-y stuff with her?” she asked her stuffed scorpion, still sitting on the shelf. She was _not_ taking that with her. Scorpia was a grown woman who could sleep by herself!

“You’re right, I think that’ll be covered,” she said, setting the tea pot and kettle aside.

“I will take this mug though,” she said, placing a red cup inside her bag, “I don’t want to break any of Perfuma’s tea cups by accident.”

“Oh Scorpia!!”

Scorpia could hear a familiar sing-songy voice coming from down the hall. She didn’t know Perfuma had intended to pick her up. Before she had time to prepare, Perfuma had stopped dead in her tracks in the doorway of Scorpia’s room. She was wearing a straw hat and carried only a tote bag with her.

“Geez, you travel light, eh?” Scorpia asked, still finishing up her bag.

“Well, Plumeria is my kingdom after all. All of my stuff should already be there when we get there. And the journey isn’t exactly far.”

“But it is a journey, right? Should we bring snacks? How fast of a walker are you? See, I’m kinda slow so…”

“We should have plenty of food once we get there, but if you want to bring snacks, I’m not going to stop you~” Perfuma winked, “and don’t worry about how long it takes us to get there. This is a vacation, remember? There isn’t going to be any set time limits or anything like that!”

“No time limits, eh?”

Perfuma nodded.

“Well, I can’t wait to get going! Let’s go now!” Scorpia finished zipping up her backpack and slung it across her back. “Do you want me to carry that for you?” Scorpia asked, pointing to Perfuma’s tote bag.

“Nope, I think I got it.”

Well, even if she didn’t have a great time, Scorpia was sure this trip would do wonders for Perfuma. She already seemed to be more herself, and they hadn’t even really left yet.

“Do you want a hat?” Perfuma asked.

“Hmn?”

“Like the one that I’m wearing?” Perfuma pointed to her head, “it keeps out the sun.”

“Oh, I like the sun! You should have seen me in the Crimson Waste! My exoskeleton has never felt so rejuvenated.”

“Well, I have one here if you want one. Let’s go!”

With that, they left Bright Moon, and began their journey to Plumeria.

“Aw shoot!” Scorpia said, “I think I forgot to lock my room.”

“I don’t think the rooms in Bright Moon _have_ locks, Scorpia.”

“Right! Well, at least I didn’t forget…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thanks for the positive vibes and energy :)
> 
> I thought I should mention that the Explict content begins in Chapter Three. I suppose this isn't exactly strict "slow burn," but I thought two tame initial chapters was close enough to qualify.


	3. The Limits of Being Friends

They were finally in Plumeria.

“Now this,” Perfuma said, breathing in the fresh air, “this is where you want to be!”

“Wow!” Scorpia said, “I can’t believe you actually live here. The bright colours, the green… well, everything!”

“I take it you like?” Perfuma asked.

“I like.”

After being greeted by a cavalcade of Plumerians on their way to the village center, they got settled in, dropping off their bags at what Perfuma insisted was her primary residence.

“You live _here_?” Scorpia asked, pointing to a large, hollowed-out tree. Various old knots acted as veritable windows, with purple curtains draped over them from the inside. For something so cozy-looking, it was so… vast.

“Well, some of the time I do,” Perfuma replied, “but I’m not in Plumeria as often as I used to be. And sometimes I’ll end up sleeping over with some of my fellow citizens! We often have get-togethers and dinners and whatnot, so sometimes I don’t even stay here when I am in town.”

“Uh huh,” Scorpia nodded, still taking it all in.

“Before we really get our vacation started, we can go to my favourite place in Plumeria,” Perfuma said sheepishly, “if you want.”

Of course Scorpia wanted. If she wanted anything more than this, she didn’t know it yet.

“I want.” She said. It had sounded better in her head. Perfuma giggled anyway.

“Come on, I’ll show you,” Perfuma said.

Scorpia was led by the pincer to a greenhouse of sorts, built of a smooth material Scorpia couldn’t quite recognise and with windows on every face.

“A greenhouse?” Scorpia asked.

“Yep,” Perfuma nodded, “while I like to experiment with hybrids, arrangements, and bouquets, sometimes the plants just need time to grow, especially the ones not native to Plumeria and used to different climates.”

Perfuma’s eyes lit up as she explained all of it, and Scorpia felt an undeniable urge to be pulled in. Yet, she was able to stop herself. At this moment, wanting more seemed a criminal act. Scorpia was lucky—incredibly lucky—that Perfuma still wanted to be her friend after what had happened. Scorpia had stung her, shot lightning at her, and threw a tank at her. Even if she could be forgiven for all that, it was only a matter of time before she hurt Perfuma again. And Perfuma wasn’t stupid; the thought had no doubt crossed her mind as well. Even _if_ she was tempted (and Scorpia hadn’t yet settled on whether that ‘if’ was big or not) Scorpia knew that Perfuma had every right to keep her at a distance to keep herself safe.

Instead, Scorpia just smiled, and when Perfuma trailed off, she found herself asking

“So, why did you want to take me here again?”

“Well, I mean, I want to show you the plants, but also, I… I’m gonna let you in on a little secret.”

“What kind of secret?”

“Well…” Perfuma chuckled, “you know, one of my, ahem, hobbies is to walk around the greenhouse naked.”

“Really?!” Scorpia said, “you know, I wouldn’t have figured.”

“It’s a great way to get back to nature, to feel free… Plus since the doors are locked and the windows can be made opaque nobody can see you in here.”

“So… should I just go while you’re doing this, or…”

“No!” Perfuma said, “stay here. If you want, we can do it… together?”

“Um, sure?” Scorpia said, “who goes first?”

“I’ve done this before so, uh, I’ll go first. Well, here goes nothing…” Perfuma said with a wink, before casting off her dress.

There was, to Scorpia’s surprise, nothing underneath.

She had been hesitant to do this. She didn’t know how many of the Princesses knew. A few of her former lovers had known, beforehand, and a few of them didn’t. Only one had ever walked out on her for it…

If she had been thinking clinically, she would have told Scorpia before this. The truth was she was being entirely selfish. It was unrealistic, and maybe even irresponsible, but she just wanted it to be… no big deal. And she didn’t want to be clinical with Scorpia; not now, not ever.

The sudden reveal of skin had left Scorpia with her mouth agape. Her eyes could not help but go wide, wanting to look for her own sake, not wanting to look for Perfuma’s sake. There was no way she couldn’t look; small, pert breasts (which Perfuma actually did not do much to hide even wearing clothes, now that Scorpia thought of it), slender, sensuous legs, and between them… a penis, small and smooth, and a pair of testicles.

“Not exactly what you were expecting, hmn?” Perfuma said with all the courage she had.

She realized she should probably stop ogling right now. ‘Get it together, Scorpia,’ she thought, ‘it’s just a naked women. Nothing you haven’t seen before.’ But this was a _beautiful_ naked woman. No, this wasn’t just a beautiful naked woman; this was _Perfuma_. She was actually looking at Perfuma. Who was naked.

Right now.

“Oh my gosh! Okay, you actually just did that,” Scorpia said, “wow, you look gorgeous.”

“Wait, really?”

“You didn’t know? They don’t have mirrors in Plumeria? We had some in the Horde, of course. They were often cracked or damaged, or not very flattering, but we did have them.”

“Scorpia, we have mirrors in Plumeria.”

“And you didn’t know you were gorgeous?”

“Well,” Perfuma giggled, “I don’t like to brag—staying humble is an important part of staving off negative vibes—but, yeah, I kinda did. I just… didn’t know if _you_ thought I was, you know?”

“No, no, I really don’t,” Scorpia said, “

“Anyway, as lovely as this conversation is, Scorpia, I’m getting a bit tired of standing here naked alone. Show me some muscle!”

“Right! Okay, lemme just…” Scorpia tugged at the bottom of her shirt to pull it over her head. But she was nervous. Or excited. Nervously-excited? She couldn’t get a clean grip, and kept tugging and tugging…

“You need a hand over there?” Perfuma asked.

“No, that’s okay! I dress myself every day!” said Scorpia, a little too proudly, “okay, sometimes I sleep in my clothes and wear them the next day, but I feel really guilty afterwards!”

“It’s okay,” Perfuma said, “I don’t mind helping you.”

With loving hands, Perfuma grabbed hold of Scorpia’s shirt and pulled it over head. Even under a sports bra, Scorpia’s boobs weren’t exactly cooperative, bouncing down once her shirt was pulled off.

“Do you need help with that too?” Perfuma asked, pointing to the bra.

“I got this,” Scorpia said. Naked!Perfuma pulling her clothes off was becoming… a little too hot to handle. A few awkward, contorted angles later, Scorpia had managed to slide the thing off herself. But Perfuma apparently wasn’t done with her yet.

“And the bottoms, do you need help with the bottoms?” Perfuma squatted before her, eyes on level with her crotch. She seemed almost… excited?

“Oh pants are easy!” Scorpia announced, kicking off her boots before calmly sliding pants and panties down in one movement. Scorpia’s pants fell gracefully to her ankles. Maybe she could be smooth after all? Perfuma… did not move. Her eyes, her nose, her face, were all enraptured with what Scorpia had going on down _there_.

“You know, I might have jogged on the way over here,” said Scorpia, “and I don’t know what it smells like down there, so maybe…”

“It smells normal to me,” said Perfuma, without even batting an eye.

“Normal… compared to what?”

“Well, everyone’s a bit different… You don’t stink, Scorpia, I don’t know what else to say!” Perfuma blushed.

“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment,” said Scorpia, attempting to step out of the bunch of clothes at her ankles. As she lifted her knee, her foot caught on the waistband of her pants. She began to tip over.

“Watch out!” Scorpia said, closing her eyes, flinching as she fell.

“Hang on,” said Perfuma, “I’ve got you!”

Immediately she stood up and grabbed Scorpia for dear life.

“I’ve got you,” she repeated, softer this time, her hands holding Scorpia by the armpits as Scorpia shook off the pesky clothing.

“Bad pants!” Perfuma chastised, “making Scorpia trip like that. See, this is why I prefer dresses!” Perfuma spun around as if she were wearing a dress.

Which of course, she wasn’t.

“Alright, now what do we do?”

Perfuma sighed contentedly.

“Technically, we can do whatever we want,” Perfuma said suggestively, “but typically, I tend to just do some regular gardening. There’s just… a whole other dimension of doing things you’d normally do clothed naked.”

Perfuma began to repot some annuals as she was talking.

“You’re not even wearing gloves!” Scorpia exclaimed, “what if you get dirt on you?”

“Worried about me, are you?” Perfuma asked.

“No.” Scorpia said unconvincingly, “well, anyway, I’m going to take a look at these flowers. Can you believe we didn’t have flowers in the Horde? I never knew there were so many!”

Scorpia walked down the main path of the greenhouse, fawning over cute flowers at each step. Perfuma looked, a little selfishly, to the side, admiring Scorpia’s bum-and-tail combination as she walked away.

 _Even her bum is muscly!_ Perfuma couldn’t help but observe.

“Hey Perfuma?”

“What is it, Scorpia?”

“How come there are no cactuses?”

“You mean cacti?”

“The round spiky ones!” Scorpia clarified, “I saw some while I was in the Crimson Waste. Aren’t they so cute?”

Perfuma cringed internally.

This was the big leap, she decided. Chemistry, compatibility, body-acceptance, they were all important. But they would all mean nothing if this little impasse couldn’t be sorted out.

Cacti, as it turns out, are a dealbreaker.

“I… suppose…” Perfuma said through her teeth.

She had come to terms with them before, of course. But sorting out her natural dislike of them was another thing altogether. And knowing Scorpia loved them so much…

“I was thinking of getting one for my room in Bright Moon, but I don’t know how long I’ll be staying, and I thought it would be better to get one from you…”

“Well, at the moment, we don’t have any cacti in Plumeria; sorry to burst your bubble…”

“Really, why not? Cactuses can have flowers too, can’t they?”

“Yes, they can, but… Scorpia, I have to confess that before the war I didn’t… really like cacti…”

“Oh.”

“But I’m getting over it now! I’d meant to bring in some cacti after the war was over, but… honestly, I’d forgotten all about it before you brought them up.”

“So… why did you not like cactuses?”

“It’s not… that I didn’t like them, really. I thought I did. But really, I just didn’t know enough about them yet. Some things we don’t like are like that. Some things aren’t. Sometimes it’s hard… finding out the difference.”

“I mean, I’m one to talk,” Scorpia said, “I don’t even know the names of the flowers you smell like.”

“Lavender,” Perfuma said, “at least that’s what I’m wearing right now.”

“You’re not wearing anything right now, remember?”

Perfuma giggled.

Then there was a knock at the door of the greenhouse.

“Keep quiet!” Perfuma hushed, freezing in place beside Scorpia.

The door began to slide open.

“Did you forget to lock it?” Scorpia asked innocently. Perfuma shot her a peeved look before hiding her head in her hands.

“Yes,” she admitted, “quick, we have to hide!”

Scorpia crouched down behind a row of potted sunflowers and Perfuma was right behind her—literally; wedged between Scorpia and the wall, hunched over Scorpia’s back.

“Princess Perfuma?” Called the newcomer, “Princess Perfuma, there’s a delivery waiting for you. Are you in here?”

Perfuma placed a hand over her mouth so that sound didn’t escape. But she knew, she knew. This… this was one of her fantasies, getting caught while doing this. It had never happened before, and this time… this time Scorpia was with her.

It wasn’t long before she was aroused, her hardened self pressing into Scorpia’s back.

‘Oh please, not here!’ she cried internally, ‘please not now!’

It was in vain. She was sure Scorpia could definitely feel it right now.

‘Please just let her not hate me after this,’ she thought, trying to think of something that wouldn’t arouse her further. Nothing worked.

Scorpia felt something ungodly hot and… Perfuma shaped… driving into her back.

‘Oh gosh!’ Scorpia thought, ‘I can feel it!’ she tried to supress a smile, knowing that if she wasn’t careful she’d give away their position.

‘Is she actually attracted to me?’ Scorpia wondered. A greedy part of her wanted to lean back, just so; to feel Perfuma press even closer to her. ‘No,’ she reminded herself, ‘there can be many explanations for it. It could just be the situation. Or it’s just the cold or something. It didn’t… it didn’t have to mean anything.’

“Princess Perfuma?” the interloper called once more, “huh, I guess she isn’t here?” they said before leaving the greenhouse the door they came.

Perfuma gingerly removed herself out from being wedged behind Scorpia and ran daintily towards the door, finally locking it. Perfuma leaned her back against the door and slid down, huffing and puffing from the laboured breathing she’d kept in.

“Are you okay?” Scorpia asked.

“I think…” Perfuma began, “I think I’m fine. Whew. Well, that’ll teach me to check the locks the next time I try this.”

“But there will _be_ a next time, right?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, definitely.”

“And I can come, right?”

 _She actually wants to do this again?_ Perfuma thought. ‘I didn’t drive her away?’

“If you want to, Scorpia, then of course.”

“Great! I’ll help you plant the cactuses once you get them!”

“Should we get going?”

“Yes, Scorpia, I think so.”

* * *

After a day of heavy vacationing (the rest of it clothed), Perfuma showed Scorpia to a small abode next to her house.

“You can sleep here for tonight, if you want.” Perfuma said.

Equal parts tired and enthusiastic, Scorpia assented, and moved to tuck in for the night.

Scorpia was not always a heavy sleeper. She would usually get to bed early, but some nights, that meant waking up at who-knows-when in the morning, when it was still dark out, and forcing herself back to sleep. Tonight was one of those nights.

Tossing and turning wasn’t exactly effortless with a tail, but Scorpia managed it anyway, and getting comfortable seemed impossible. There was an unbearable ache down _there_ that Scorpia couldn’t do anything with. Not with these claws.

She needed something Perfuma-shaped to take the edge off down there.

Just a kiss, just a touch, that was all she needed. Then she could go to sleep.

Covered by her underwear and bedsheets, Scorpia could rub herself with her claw without it hurting.

Breathing all too deeply, Scorpia was just able to imagine Perfuma next to her, lying naked as she did earlier that day.

‘Do you need some help, sweety?’ she could imagine her saying.

“Yes!” Scorpia whined.

‘Okay,’ Perfuma would say, blushing. Perfuma would use her hand, just one. ‘Ooh, you’re nice and ready.’ She would say just before contact, pressing tighter, pressing inwards, pressing where Scorpia’s claws couldn’t go.

‘Just tell me if you need me to stop, sweety,’ even in her dreams Perfuma was gentle.

“Don’t stop; never stop” Scorpia managed to hush out. She hoped no one would hear. Perfuma didn’t need to think of her doing something like… this. She was in a room Perfuma had allowed her to use as a guest. She knew Perfuma wasn’t prudish, but this seemed… disrespectful…

Even in the Horde, she hadn’t been allowed to do this. She hadn’t even allowed herself to do this. But she was getting greedy now. Hospitality be damned, sleep be damned. This was going to happen.

The vision of Perfuma beside her had stopped talking and was now gently tugging herself with her off hand, moaning softly as she went. That did it.

“Ahhhh!!” Scorpia exclaimed, the pressure building faster until all released. She imagined Perfuma cuming too, wet drops falling inadvertently onto Scorpia’s thighs.

That was the first time she’d been able to bring herself to orgasm outside of a dream.

Scorpia huffed, her body straining as she came off the high, hoping sleep would take her now. It was now so hot; in a vain attempt to cool Scorpia absentmindedly slid her underwear off and kicked it away. She tried to relax, but tears soon welled on her face.

It was only the idea of Perfuma enjoying it that did it. Stroking at her little… Using her friend like this was wrong enough, but imagining her with alien desires, putting thoughts in her head…

It was just like Prime.

It was wrong.

‘I must really be drowsy,’ she thought, ‘thinking about _that_ right after…’

Her mind wandered through half-consciousness, remembering various phrases.

‘If you want this there’s no reason not to try,’ Perfuma’s words resonated across her memory. Did she mean something more by that? No, she’d been enthusiastic about finding her someone else. Maybe there could be, should be, a someone else. But there wasn’t. There was only Perfuma.

And she’d only known her for a year! She’d known Catra for like three!

‘I guess I’m not the faithful type?’ Scorpia almost said aloud.

Was this… was this like how she was a year after meeting Catra? This desperate, this unprepared? If it was, she knew she’d never be prepared. It would always be like this; half-satisfying fantasies that didn’t even grab the hem of reality.

It would be empty beds forever.

* * *

The morning met her with shuffling about her room.

“Hmn?” Scorpia said, still half-asleep, clutching a pillow and tossing from one side of the bed to the other.

“Wakey, wakey, Scorpia-baby!” Perfuma’s voice sang, “there’s lot’s to do and lots to see, so it’s best if we get an early start!”

“Hmn, Perfuma?” Scorpia sat up in bed and adjusted her eyes.

“Woah!” Perfuma exclaimed.

Scorpia wasn’t sure what she was talking about until she looked down. She had went to bed, unusually for her, naked. Her breasts were totally exposed.

“Looks like somebody’s really taken our afternoon in the greenhouse to heart!”

“Sorry!” Scorpia said, finally acting awake and drawing the sheets to cover herself.

“Relax, Scorpia,” Perfuma said, “I saw everything yesterday, remember?”

“Right, right,” said Scorpia, yawning, tentatively removing the sheet once again. She unfurled more of the covers and stepped out of bed, naked as the day she was born.

Perfuma, on the other hand, was of course clothed. And Scorpia couldn’t help but feel that her eyes were watching her. Or maybe she was still over-sexed from last night and was just projecting things.

Scorpia grabbed at her clothes and, still drowsy, wasn’t exactly having a great time getting them on.

“Do you need some help, sweety?” Perfuma asked.

In an instant, Scorpia’s switch was flipped. She could feel a trickle run down her thigh. Scorpia was relieved; at this angle, she doubted if Perfuma could see it.

“Naw, I’m good, I’m good. I do this all the time, remember?”

After a short struggle (during which Perfuma struggled to contain her laughter for Scorpia’s sake) Scorpia managed to get some clothes on her.

“Where are we going that we need to get up so early in the morning anyway?”

“Aw, are you not a morning person, Scorpia?”

“I’m a morning person,” Scorpia asserted, “but this seems too early to be morning.”

“Well, this is when I do my tea ceremony back home; I do it a bit later when I’m in Bright Moon so I don’t disturb the staff.”

“That makes sense,” Scorpia said, almost suddenly awake. She poked at her breakfast (she was still not entirely used to leaves) as Perfuma made conversation.

“So, what do you want to do today?” Perfuma asked.

“I, uh, thought this was your vacation? Shouldn’t we do what you want to do?”

“Well, I didn’t exactly plan out an itinerary,” Perfuma said. “The idea was kinda spontaneous and I thought we could just go with it.”

“Oh, okay,” Scorpia said, “you know, it’s beautiful just outdoors. In Bright Moon… and really back in the Horde, we were always indoors. I guess I just got used to it. But everything here looks so fun and loose…”

She was trailing. What had gotten into her lately? Normally, she could keep track of her mind, direct it and shape it, and put away everything she didn’t need. She could at least stay positive or coherent, but ever since…

She had nothing to work toward. Before there had always been a motivation. Now, there wasn’t really anything she could devote herself to. At least not anything she could have anyway.

No, that wasn’t helpful. She wanted to _feel_. It didn’t have to be perfect, but damned if she wouldn’t at least _live_ for once in her life.

“…You know, I’ve never been on a picnic,” Scorpia said, “the weather’s nice, if you don’t mind packing something small, I think we could do it!”

“A picnic? Ooh that’s a wonderful idea!”

“You really think so?”

“I know the perfect spot. I’ll grab some blankets and pillows and snacks…” Perfuma trailed off on her own train of thought. Scorpia was relieved, to a point. At least things were going smoothly, anyway.

* * *

Their picnic turned out to be a rousing success.

Okay, maybe not rousing, Scorpia admitted, but they hadn’t run into any roadblocks.

The weather remained clear, and the grassy field Perfuma led them to was just as she’d remembered, and luckily, free of bugs.

“You don’t like bugs?” Perfuma said, looking surprised.

“I don’t hate them!” Scorpia insisted. “I just… they kinda freak me out a little. Like, I’m fine if I see one in the shower or something. I don’t scream or anything. They’re just a little unsettling.”

“Well do you spank them?”

“…No…” Scorpia said, “I mean, those flyswatters are actually kind of hard to use with pincers, you know?”

“I guess I never thought about it…” Perfuma said, “which is really weird because I try to think in as many different mindsets as possible, if I can.”

“Do the plants have mindsets?” Scorpia asked, “I know you can… commune with them, or something, but are they like people?”

“They’re not… unlike people. They have preferences. But the preferences they have aren’t usually that complicated. At least not as complicated as a person, anyway. The thing that amazes me is… well, it’s kind of hard to explain. With plants more than my patients, I’m curious to see what happens when I’m hands-off versus hands-on. Sometimes if you let a plant do its own thing, it can grow into something really beautiful. But other times… you really need to guide it, shape it, direct it, or else it’ll wither. I don’t really know how to describe it. I wish I could say there was a method behind it, but most of the time I have to rely on my intuition which… isn’t always right…”

Perfuma trailed off in silence, staring off at the grassy field. It was still the afternoon, still plenty of time for further picnicking, exploring, or any number of activities. Scorpia suddenly felt nervous. _She said something about intuition,_ Scorpia thought, _maybe she means… that the time is now? Or was she waiting to do something?_

Agonizing over it wasn’t going to make her feel any better, Scorpia realized.

 _If she understands, she understands,_ Scorpia said to herself, _if she doesn’t… Then I’ve potentially lost a friend and the rest of this vacation is going to get super awkward._

But she still had her intuition, at least. And right now that was all she needed.

_Alright Scorpia, you can do this, you can do this! It’s now-or-never…_

“Hey, Perfuma?”

“Hey Scorpia?”

“Remember how we were talking about that other person?”

It instantly clicked in Perfuma’s mind.

“Ooh, are you ready to talk about it? Have you changed your mind about that advice?”

“Yep! I’m just going to go with it.”

“Go with what?”

Scorpia breathed in.

“Perfuma, do you want to go out with me?”

Perfuma blinked. Her eyes were wide with shock.

 _She’s surprised,_ Scorpia realized, _she hadn’t even expected…_ Oh, she had fucked this up. She had screwed this up big time. Again.

She couldn’t even hide behind the subtlety of a board game this time.

She’d gone out and asked.

And Perfuma looked almost disgusted with her.

This was not good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes what will be the only *overt* reference to Perfuma's... equipment throughout the story.
> 
> I waffled on exactly how to go about it, and landed on being clear in the first instance and respectfully vague thereafter. Let me know if you think this was the right choice :)


	4. The Limits of Being Honest

Perfuma blinked.

_Okay._ Wow. _This is a lot to take in._

* * *

Perfuma had a good memory. A passing memory, anyway, for events and conversations, if not numbers or the books she had read. A particular memory jumped out at her often. It always made her smile.

It was an arts and crafts night. During the war, it was simply a way to unwind.

On this particular night, she could remember a particularly flustered newcomer who happened to join them—the Princess (she would later learn) who had stung her only a week before. Ordinarily, Perfuma would have been happy enough—none of the other Princesses had ever actually attended one of her arts and crafts group activities. On this night, however, she was overjoyed.

Crushes based on first impressions were a curious thing. They were often disappointing once you got to know the person. No doubt, Perfuma had a crush after first being stung. Part of her should have been worried, but she could hardly contain her excitement for getting a chance to actually meet her.

The newcomer sat cross-legged and introduced herself as Scorpia. Perfuma already knew the name, but she was happy she could now not be accused of knowing it too early.

Perfuma prided herself on making her crafts accessible, but she had never had to plan for pincers before. Scorpia fuddled with the pieces of her to-be birdhouse, glued pieces constantly coming undone, glittered stickers getting caught in her hair. Perfuma would have laughed had she known it would not be insensitive.

Her excitement did not wane as the night passed. If anything, it increased. Her little crush on the newcomer had failed to go away. There was just something about her, so naïve and innocent and yet so fully formed, so completely herself. She was so bright, such a ray of sunshine, and yet her appearance was so dark and hulking, her voice almost husky.

Someone had once told her it was not true love if you could explain the reason for your love in exact terms. With Scorpia, Perfuma could come so close to explaining it, but in the end, she couldn’t. There wasn’t one thing she could separate from the others that explained away her feelings.

The woman’s promise to come again next week, however, was icing on the cake.

* * *

Perfuma had not been daydreaming long before she snapped back.

“I’m sorry! Forget I said anything,” Scorpia said before Perfuma had a chance to say anything. She was unsure of what to do with herself. She tried standing up, but sat back down. Perfuma held out her hand.

“Stay,” she said with a look.

And she did, even though she wanted to take it all back.

“I thought you said there was someone else?” asked Perfuma.

“Uh… _you_ said there was somebody else. I didn’t say anything.”

“Oh.” Perfuma giggled, “so you were talking about _me_?”

“Yes.” Scorpia croaked.

“Oh, I understand why you didn’t want my help, then.” Perfuma said, “well, then I can give you my answer!”

“I… I don’t need to hear it! Just forget I said anything,” she repeated.

“Oh, I think you’ll want to hear it…” Perfuma said, leaning over towards Scorpia. Scorpia fidgeted in her seat, claws tucked as well as they could be in her lap.

“My answer is yes,” Perfuma whispered in her ear.

“Yes what?”

“Yes, I’ll go out with you, silly!”

“Oh.” Scorpia said, “Oh!” she repeated with realization.

“So, what do we do now that we’re… dating?” Scorpia asked. She was still hesitant to use the word. It didn’t seem… real yet.

“Well, generally speaking, dating is when people mark out set times to meet each other, usually alone, to get to know each other, or—”

“To do an activity!” Scorpia interrupted.

“Or that, yes. It’s not really all that different to what we’ve already been doing.”

“Oh.” Scorpia said, “what we’ve been doing is fun!” She came to a realization. “Dating can be fun!”

“Why do you think I was so excited for you to try it?”

Scorpia looked dazed.

“I didn’t know dating could be fun. I always kinda associated it with… I dunno, nervousness, being mature, anxiety…”

“Well, I hope you don’t feel like that around me~” Perfuma teased.

“No, of course not!”

“You know, Scorpia,” Perfuma slid a little bit closer to her, “given that we’ve basically already been dating this whole time, I think we’re allowed to skip a few steps.”

“We can?” Scorpia gulped.

“Uh huh,” Perfuma said, getting awfully close to Scorpia’s face, “do you want to try kissing?”

Scorpia didn’t know how to respond. She wanted to; of course she wanted to. But was it really that easy? Was it so easy to just lean over and kiss this woman beside her, when she’d never done it before? What if she did it wrong? Perfuma had done it before; she would know if she was doing it wrong.

But then Perfuma batted her eyelashes.

That was when Scorpia realized that it should be _illegal_ for Perfuma to bat her eyelashes. She had no choice, the war was over; Perfuma had won.

“Yeah,” Scorpia said decisively, “I do. But promise to let me know if I’m doing it wrong, okay?”

“Okay…” said Perfuma, leaning in, at first only gently brushing her lips against Scorpia’s, then pulling back, only to hold Scorpia’s face with both hands before smooching her square on the lips. Scorpia moaned almost immediately on contact.

Her first kiss. Her first actual, not made up, not in a dream, kiss. Wet and warm; this was not at all what she thought it would feel like. Or taste like! Whatever Perfuma had on her lips was now in her tongue and she did not want that taste to leave her for the rest of her life. This close she could smell Perfuma’s hair, and with Perfuma’s hand placed… not so randomly on Scorpia’s thigh, she was hooked. Perfuma pulled back, perhaps for air, perhaps because she thought that was what Scorpia wanted, but Scorpia dug right back in deeper, returning the favour, gently prodding for more.

‘And she said she hasn’t done this before!?’ Perfuma thought, ‘with this natural talent… ‘ Perfuma pulled away.

“Don’t worry, I’m not done,” Perfuma said, “you’re just… this is… amazing. If you learn how to kiss any better than that you’ll end up breaking girl’s hearts!”

“Not yours though,” Scorpia said in a husky voice, before leaning in for another kiss.

‘That’s right,’ Perfuma thought, ‘not mine. Not my heart, baby. You have mine now; keep it safe.’

Perfuma kneaded her hands through Scorpia’s hair, tousling all she could despite its short length. She moved her arms down, embracing her back, not so much rubbing it as holding it.

‘A girl could get lost here,’ Perfuma thought, ‘If I get lost here I don’t care.’

Perfuma gave a little push with her tongue; just enough to let Scorpia know she was there. Instantly receptive, Scorpia opened her mouth and Perfuma went right in. Perfuma moaned into her, tasting everything. She could feel Scorpia’s heavy breaths heaving into her contentedly. Eventually their lips smacked as they drew for air.

Inexplicably exhausted, Perfuma nestled herself into Scorpia’s arms, into those big strong arms.

“How do you smell so good?” Perfuma asked, wedging her nose into Scorpia’s chest, “what do you use?”

“Soap?” Scorpia asked, “I’ve just been using what Glimmer gave me in Bright Moon.”

‘Only you could smell this good with just soap,’ Perfuma thought.

“Maybe we should take a shower together?” Perfuma asked, not so innocently. Scorpia saw right through it.

“You just wanna get me naked,” she said, “again.”

“Is that alright?” Perfuma said, not even denying it.

At first Scorpia didn’t answer.

“I think you know the answer to that.” Scorpia said.

* * *

“Here, I made these for you,” Perfuma said, handing Scorpia a pair of woolen… well, she didn’t know exactly what they were.

It had been a few days since her… confession, and now their vacation had mainly become an excuse to spend time with each other.

“They look like oven mitts,” Scorpia observed, pincing one gently and holding it up to look inside. They were soft, pink, and roughly made in the shape of her claws.

“I mean, I guess you might be able to use them as oven mitts,” said Perfuma, before shaking her head, “but no, that’s not what they’re for.”

“Oh, regular ol’ mittens! I used to have a pair; they were white, not pink, but I think I lost them in the Northern Reach.”

“I suppose you could use them that way too… although I don’t think I want to go on any vacations to the Northern Reach anytime soon.”

“What are they for then?” Scorpia looked at Perfuma. She didn’t want to have to ask… obviously, she was supposed to know what these were for. It made her sad to think that she wasn’t able to appreciate something Perfuma had made specially for her. “I mean, I like them,” Scorpia added, “but I just don’t—”

“—They’re for if you want to touch a… sensitive place on your body. Or my… body, for that matter. You haven’t hurt me!” Perfuma clarified, “but I know you’re a little bit worried about that. It’s okay! I just thought, if you didn’t want to worry…”

“Oh,” Scorpia said, “ _Oh!_ ” Scorpia suddenly hugged her tightly before letting go. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome!”

Perfuma put her hands behind her back and hopped sheepishly from one foot onto the other.

“Do you want to try them out now, or…?”

“Uh… sure!”

Now practiced in the art of undressing (if not gracefully), clothes were on the floor within minutes. Scorpia slipped on the mittens, and for the first time, touched Perfuma’s bare waist.

“Can I kiss you?” Scorpia asked, “I mean, we sorta already did it once…”

“Yes,” Perfuma said, “kiss me.”

Scorpia leaned forward, head to the side, taking the initiative. She wasn’t really sure what she was doing, but Perfuma helped, leaning up to meet her. They were inches away. Perfuma’s eyes were closed, but she opened them just as Scorpia was closing in. She giggled.

“Here,” Perfuma said, “like this.”

Perfuma closed her eyes again and opened her lips just so. Scorpia leaned in again and finally made contact. It was different than before. It felt more deliberate, less cloying, and more…

Well, Scorpia didn’t really have a word for it.

Amazing couldn’t quite cut it.

Perfuma moaned into the kiss, finding herself pressed against the solid yet supple firmness of Scorpia’s body. It was so warm, so big, and felt so comfortable.

_Why did we wait so long to do this?_ Perfuma wondered, realizing that, in the grand scheme of things, it hadn’t been all that long.

To think love would have found her so quickly and earnestly tugged at her, and her knees almost gave out, nearly necessitating a fall onto the bed.

“Perfuma! Are you okay?” Scorpia asked, “was I too rough? I can be more gentle…”

Perfuma sat on the bed in a daze, realizing only moments later she was being asked a question.

“Uh… no, no you weren’t too rough… you could actually stand… to be more rough.” Perfuma gulped. “Maybe not tonight, but…”

“Oh okay.” Scorpia said. “What was that?”

“You make me weak in the knees.” Perfuma said, “I think we should move to the bed.”

Scorpia still looked worried.

“That… makes sense.”

Scorpia manipulated herself onto the bed, knee at a time, trying not to disturb Perfuma, still sitting on the end. She sat up and put her mittened pincer on Perfuma’s shoulder.

“What do you want to do?” Scorpia asked. “I… haven’t really done this before, so…”

“I’m a bit too… spaced out to offer advice,” Perfuma said, “just… do what feels natural, what feels right, and…”

“And what?”

“I was going to say always ask permission, but you already ask for permission, Scorpia, always. I… don’t think you need to be told twice.”

“Ah, got it, so…” Scorpia moved her covered pincers to Perfuma’s back, rubbing in circles as gently as she could, “… this feels natural.”

“It does.” Perfuma said.

Scorpia moved her mittens to the front and began to rub Perfuma’s nipples. They were already hard, of course, but Perfuma felt them get even harder, somehow. She sighed. Scorpia leaned down and kissed the nape of her neck.

“Can you lie down?” Perfuma asked, “I want to try something.”

“Uh, sure. What is it?”

“I want to lick, um…” Perfuma pointed to Scorpia’s crotch, “is that okay?”

“Yeah…” Scorpia said in a weak voice. She lied down into the bed, her head resting back against the pillows. Perfuma moved between Scorpia’s legs, which Scorpia parted, ever so slightly, to make room for her.

“Just close your eyes, Scorpia baby, and let it all melt away.”

Perfuma got into position and waited. Scorpia braced herself against the bed, but nothing came.

“What are you waiting for?” Scorpia asked.

“For you to ask,” Perfuma said, before blowing a tiny breath onto Scorpia’s clit.

Perfuma gave only a tiny lick at first, barely making contact, but it still made Scorpia gasp nevertheless. Perfuma went all-in slowly, poking deeper with her tongue only gently, before grabbing Scorpia’s hips with both hands and bearing down entirely. While Perfuma licked and smacked and sucked, Scorpia thought about doing the same to her. She thought about Perfuma swinging her leg around so that her crotch was in Scorpia’s face. She imagined Perfuma big and excited and ready. Perfuma wouldn’t even ask, she would just expect Scorpia to take her in her mouth and…

From the end of the bed Scorpia could see Perfuma’s taut butt sticking straight in the air, perfectly soft; fine hairs visible only in the brightest sunlight. She wanted to touch it, to bring it closer. She could feel her insides becoming hotter and hotter, her breaths more erratic, and her eyes couldn’t decide if they wanted to be open or closed.

Finally, she felt it coming.

“Oh no,” Scorpia said just before the edge, before she melted into Perfuma, into the mattress, into the light fixture hanging above the bed. Her mind was fuzzy, grey was all she could see and her ears were buzzing. All she knew was that Perfuma was lying next to her now because of the hug she was being given.

“I love you,” Scorpia said.

Oh no! Oh no oh no oh no! It had just slipped out—thoughtlessly, of course, on her part. But this was bad, real bad. Even Scorpia knew that you weren’t supposed to say ‘I love you’ for the first time during—or after—sex. Oh no this was bad.

Perfuma looked at her with wide eyes.

‘Does she hate me?’ Scorpia wondered. She didn’t want to say it out loud. She knew what the answer was: ‘No, of course not Scorpia. How could I hate you?’ But it wasn’t the _answer_ she was afraid of. If things went bad, Perfuma would think back to this moment and wonder what she should have done differently.

“You do?”

“Um…”

“You do.” Perfuma shot her a knowing look.

“I uh, I uh,” Scorpia mumbled, not knowing what to say. ‘I didn’t mean it’ wasn’t true, nor was ‘I didn’t know what I was saying.’ She said ‘I’m sorry’ too much for it to mean what she wanted it to mean right now. There wasn’t really anything else for her to do.

Unbeknownst to her thoughts, tears started to well in Scorpia’s eyes.

“Are you crying? Oh, sweety, no. Here, sit up.” Perfuma laid beside her, put her hand on her shoulder. “Did I do something. Was I too?”

Scorpia shook her head but couldn’t find the words. She’d ruined it. She’d really ruined it, and now there was no going back.

“I’m sorry” she finally croaked.

“You’re sorry?” Perfuma sounded confused, “for what? For loving me? Scorpia, that shouldn’t be something you feel sorry about.” _Should it?_ Perfuma didn’t understand. Had Scorpia said something like this to Catra and gotten a… less than enthusiastic response?

“I’m not supposed to say it though, right?” Scorpia said, still teary eyed. But Perfuma was almost relieved. Scorpia at least sounded more like herself.

“I mean, I imagine you’d have to tell me at some point…”

“At some point, but not _now_!” Scorpia gestured towards her own nakedness.

_Oh_ Perfuma realized. _She wanted it to be perfect. She… didn’t want to loosen up. She wanted it to be good for me even if it wasn’t good for her._

“Scorpia~” she said in a hushed voice, pressing herself to the side of Scorpia’s body, craning to reach her ear, “let it all out, baby, don’t keep it inside.” She kissed Scorpia’s ear. “A bedroom isn’t a place for lies. Don’t hold them in here, okay?”

“Okay.” Scorpia repeated, holding Perfuma, “okay.”

“I don’t mind, if you can believe it. You know why?”

Scorpia shook her head, still keeping her eyes closed.

“I love you too.” She said, not even moving.

Perfuma said it like it was nothing at all. Scorpia’s body huffed, almost involuntarily, and hugged Perfuma even more closely. She didn’t say anything, but her tears gradually began to dry.

_It’s okay._ Scorpia told herself as she fell asleep. _She feels the same way. She enjoys it too._

_She enjoys it too._

The thought repeated in her head until she found herself asleep.

* * *

Scorpia awoke that morning with an easy, restless, start. She didn’t want to get out of bed. But still, she forced herself to sit up. Glancing to the side, she noticed Perfuma was not next to her.

“I’m right here sweety!” Perfuma said, peeking out from the kitchen, “I figured you’d be hungry after last night.”

Her heart warmed, Scorpia cracked her neck and absent-mindedly touched her forehead with her pincers, brushing a few loose strands of hair from her eyes.

_What’s this?_ She thought.

Lifting whatever it was off her head, she finally saw.

There was a crown of daisies on her head.

“Do you like them?” Perfuma asked, unable to contain her excitement, “no matter what you insist, I think you’re not as much of a morning person as I am—which is perfectly fine!—but waking up alone can be so sad. So I thought of these little reminders to let you know I love you! I’ll try to come up with a new flower ever day, okay?”

Scorpia smiled.

Only Perfuma would use ‘okay’ to describe such a sweet gesture. Scorpia rose out of bed, not even bothering to cover up, and snuck over towards Perfuma, who had turned her attention back to breakfast.

Perfuma was surprised to find herself in a hug so early in the morning.

“Hi” Perfuma said, “is somebody anxious for another round.”

“I love you” Scorpia mumbled into the nape of Perfuma’s shoulder. “And I’m going to look forward to your flowers, okay?”

* * *

Perfuma always got up early. She always had. It wasn’t something she had to force herself to do. At the crack of dawn she could never get back asleep.

But now was different.

Part of her knew she didn’t have to, but she soon found herself getting up just before dawn. She didn’t have to. There wasn’t anything for her to do. She only wanted to see Scorpia sleeping, & to decide what sort of flowers she would conjure up today.

Scorpia was a gorgeous sleeper. She didn’t think anyone else would take her word for it, but if this was the hill she was going to die on, so be it. Scorpia was always open-mouthed, sleeping on her back, with the occasional drop of drool. She looked wanton and peaceful all at the same time. And Perfuma only wanted to watch her take her breaths, restlessly roll from one side of the bed to the other, and stay there with her.

Of course, she knew it was creepy and horrible to watch someone sleep. It was an invasion of privacy, even among some couples. It was flagrant, too flagrant. What would Scorpia think of her if she knew she did it? Yet she couldn’t help herself. It was too much to see Scorpia’s little tummy rise and fall in complete and utter bliss, knowing she was dreaming, and that nothing could hurt her.

What sort of flowers should she give her today? Her mind was set on Black-eyed Susans, but they weren’t exactly the most romantic flower. Then again, they couldn’t all be romantic flowers.

It was cliché, but she wanted so badly to give her roses. But she had promised herself she would save roses for a special occasion. Exactly what that would be…

She decided to conjure the susans early, and began to meditate. She sat, cross legged, at the side of the bed, as Scorpia was snoring. It should have been annoying, but Perfuma found herself not minding. Perfuma breathed, in-and-out, and so did Scorpia; it seemed they were doing it together.

Clearing her head as the sun rose, Perfuma heard stirring behind her, but remained in mediation.

Scorpia, still a little drowsy, noticed her hat of yellow flowers and smiled, noticing Perfuma sitting beside her on the floor just next to the bed. A thought came into her head, and so, after putting on a thin robe, Scorpia sat herself down beside Perfuma, wordlessly, and closed her eyes.

Perfuma had already showed her how to meditate before they started dating; back before the war was even over. When she was already calm, she found it relaxing. Perfuma said it helped her remain calm even when she was stressed. But for Scorpia, mediating when she was anxious only made her feel more nervous.

She didn’t have that problem now, as it happened. She found it relaxing, between the crisp morning air and the smell of morning dew on the grass. Today, her whole life could start over again, if she wanted. She didn’t feel tied down, particularly. Today, she could be any woman in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm so happy to hear all these responses; it really fuels my motivation.
> 
> It seems my last chapter was slightly more confusing than I'd been aiming for, so I've tried to clean up my scene transitions on that one. The George Lucas Special Edition is now up, so hopefully it's a little clearer for anybody still in the dark.


	5. The Limits of Being Discreet

After a while, Perfuma stood up and stretched.

“Thanks, Scorpia, for doing that with me. I know you don’t always like meditation.”

“I _do_ like it” Scorpia clarified, “I just don’t always find it helpful. Today wasn’t one of those days, I guess.”

“Well, it looks like our little vacation is just about over.”

“We were on vacation?” Scorpia asked. It honestly felt so long ago. “I can’t believe this isn’t just like, you know, our life.”

Perfuma smiled.

“It _is_ our life” Perfuma said, “or at least it can be. I don’t think there’s anything we really can’t do in Bright Moon, at least until things are sorted out with my clinic.”

“You think you’re still going to try with it?”

Perfuma nodded.

“My hope is to get the system working first. Maybe I can even get some help. Then, I might be able to get somebody else to take it over once things settle down a little.”

“I’m with you. All the way, I’m with you. The good and the bad. I’ve been promised a new flower hat every day, and I’m planning on seeing it through.”

“Well, we’re going to have to make some adjustments to my room… or yours! I don’t want to presume—”

“Presume all you want. In this case, anyway. My kingdom’s kinda kaploosh!” Scorpia gestured an explosion with her claws, “so home is wherever I happen to be. Or more specifically, wherever you happen to be, ever since…”

Perfuma smiled.

“Is that okay? I don’t want to be a leech! I mean, I’ve never actually been bit by a leech, but I have seen them and they are gross!”

“You’re not a leech, Scorpia.” Perfuma said, “I mean, if you want, we can try and reform your kingdom. You’d have the full support of Plumeria, and probably Snows and Bright Moon as well.”

Scorpia shook her head.

“I, uh, I’m not sure that’d be such a good idea. I mean, I’m kinda busy with some other stuff right now… figuring my life out. I don’t really know anything about… running a kingdom. I tried to help Catra run the Horde and that… _that_ did not turn out okay for anyone involved. If the Horde lands wanted to reform into… whatever they want to, I don’t think they need me to do it. The Horde and, uh, my family, don’t exactly have a great track record with that.”

“Oh, uh, okay.” Perfuma said, “I don’t actually know about your family. I’ve never asked. They’re not exactly… in the picture, I take it?”

“They’re all long… long gone, I think. My moms are definitely gone, and so’s my grandfather. I might have some relatives out there somewhere, cousins, I guess, but I don’t know them. I have a picture though.”

Scorpia found the photo among her things. She hadn’t hung it up yet, not really unpacking what she’d brought with her at all. Things were moving so fast, she never really needed to settle down into a new vacation-normal.

“Ooooh, it’s baby Scorpia!” Perfuma exclaimed, holding the picture, tears nearly forming in her eyes. “I can’t believe you didn’t show me this before. This is precious, Scorpia. The. World. Needs. To. See. This.”

Scorpia had never seen Perfuma so serious.

“I mean, I don’t know how cute my baby pictures are compared to the… Scorpioni average, should I say? I’ve never seen another Scorpion-person baby.”

“You haven’t?”

“The Horde wasn’t exactly brimming with people to mingle with. To be honest, I think I might have known a grand total of seven people growing up.”

“I mean, I’ve seen them.” Perfuma said. “Other Scorpioni, I should say. Not sure about the babies, honestly…”

“You have?”

“I… didn’t think it was a big deal or anything. You want me to introduce you? It’s a village community not far from Plumeria. We might have to wait until after we get back from Bright Moon, though.”

“I’ll do it,” Scorpia said, “I don’t put a _whole_ lotta stock in the concept of ‘my people,’ but it would be good to get to know some of them, you know?”

“I think I do.” Perfuma said.

* * *

They had received a warm enough welcome upon their return. In truth, Scorpia felt as if they hadn’t really noticed either of them had gone. Perfuma noted that her patients were actually happy to have gotten the break, and for the most part they were still okay.

* * *

While they had been away, a meeting of very little importance had been called in Bright Moon. Glimmer announced that an opera was being put on.

“What’s an opera?” Scorpia asked.

“It’s like a combination of a song and a play” Glimmer explained. “The main thing is that aunt Casta is putting one on in Mystacore. She wants to celebrate She-Ra’s victory or something.”

“It’s a play about me?” Adora asked. Glimmer shook her head.

“It’s supposed to be about the first Princess Alliance. Or a fictional Princess Alliance. I dunno. It’s not us, it’s just… based on us, I guess. Anyway, we’re all invited, so I thought I’d put it out there. Only Bow and my dad and I absolutely _have_ to go, but if there’s any interest…”

“Ooh, I want to go!” Scorpia announced.

“You do?” Glimmer seemed surprised.

“I’m always up for anything with singing!”

“I’ll come too” Perfuma said, “it sounds… interesting.” She lied. Perfuma didn’t particularly like Castaspella, but Scorpia wanted to go, and more than that, she was eager to have an outing with her, even with friends, at any cost.

“We can go” Adora said.

“Who’s ‘we’?” Catra asked.

“I think you know her,” Adora said cheekily.

Catra nudged her, blushing madly.

“What?” Adora whispered. “I want to see if it’s about me or not.”

“I’m afraid I can’t go” Entrapta said bluntly, “the project Scorpia has put me on has run into some… roadblocks. And I don’t think Hordak would be comfortable sitting in the same position hours at a time.”

Not particularly wanting to convince Hordak (who was not present) otherwise, Glimmer adjourned the meeting.

* * *

Perfuma, being bold, decided to hold onto Scorpia’s claw as they walked behind the others to the theatre. They didn’t know yet, and if any of them looked behind, Perfuma wondered what they might think. She didn’t care. She only wanted this. To be close to be…

Oh shit.

When Perfuma looked down, she was tenting like mad.

_Oh no. They’re going to see. They’re going to know…_

Thinking on her feet, Perfuma pulled Scorpia with her into an alley. It was night, there was no one around. The others might wonder where they went, but finding an explanation later was better than what was in store for her right now.

“Are you okay?” Scorpia asked, “is there anything wrong.”

“No, not really, except…”

By now Scorpia looked down and saw what was going on.

“Oh.”

“I was just feeling really comfortable and really close to you and… I’m sorry” Perfuma said, holding her head in her hands, shaking it. She didn’t know what to do. She just wanted it to go away.

“Perfuma, this might sound a little… weird. I dunno. If you don’t want to do it, that’s okay. I dunno. But maybe you want me to… take care of it?”

“What do you mean?” Perfuma asked.

Scorpia answered her question by getting on her knees and looking up at her, pleadingly.

“Oh.” Perfuma said.

“You don’t want to…” Scorpia said, “I understand!” She stood up.

“No, Scorpia, no, I don’t mind, just… I didn’t think you were comfortable with that.”

“Why not—Oh.” Scorpia looked down again, “I’m not… uncomfortable with it. I thought you might be… uncomfortable with it. I didn’t know…”

“If you want to, Scorpia, I would be quite happy, but… I only want you to do it if you actually want to do this for yourself. I’d never want you to do something just for my sake. Do it because it makes you happy, okay?”

“I… I understand.”

“You do?”

“If you’re wondering what took me so long in asking—in asking you… out—it was the same thing. I didn’t want you to say ‘yes’ just to make me happy. I wanted you to actually… feel the same way.”

“Oh Scorpia I do feel the same way.”

“And I know that now! Just please let me… if you feel the same way.”

Perfuma nodded.

“I do feel the same way.”

Scorpia gingerly raised Perfuma’s skirt, eliciting a groan.

“Are you okay?” Scorpia asked.

“I’m fine! I’m fine. I just… please do it quickly…”

Scorpia grinned.

“Whatever you say, Princess.”

She dove right in, taking Perfuma in her mouth. It was not… what she expected. It was smooth, it smelled nice. But more importantly she’d imagined Perfuma stroking it all by herself, with nobody to help her. She… knew that feeling. She wanted to help. Not for Perfuma’s sake, not just to make her cum. Not even to be the one to do it, just…

She didn’t know why she found it sexy, she just did.

Pulling in and out, up and down. Perfuma moaned. Scorpia hadn’t done this before. She hoped she was doing okay, at least. If it didn’t feel right… Perfuma would tell her to stop, wouldn’t she? Or would she feel like she couldn’t.

Scorpia pulled away with a pop. Perfuma looked down with panicked eyes.

“Everything okay down there?” she asked.

“Um, yeah, I was just… I just wanted to remind you that if it doesn’t feel like it should… please let me know. I’ll… I’ll stop.”

Perfuma blushed.

“Keep going. You’re going to answer to the Princess of Plumeria if you stop again.”

Scorpia felt her heart warm. She already had her lips around it again. She had resolved. Even if the others caught them in this alley. Even if somebody saw what they were doing, she wasn’t going to stop. Perfuma was going to cum and there wasn’t anything anybody else in the damn world could do about it.

Scorpia wished she had her mittens, so she could rub herself while she was doing this. It gave her such a thrill to know… to know… that Perfuma _needed_ her like this. Perfuma’s hands were all in her hair by now, forcing her to continue, and Scorpia had no qualms about obliging them.

She tightened her lips, and she could feel Perfuma’s legs quiver around her.

“Oh no, Scorpia, oh no it’s coming. I’m sorry!!!”

Perfuma thrust herself into Scorpia’s face. Fluid rushed into Scorpia’s mouth, sticky but not too thick. Knowing it was Perfuma’s, it was easy for her to swallow it down. She continued suckling until Perfuma was nothing more than a harmless little nub before her. Scorpia kissed the insides of Perfuma’s thighs as she lifted her dress and pulled herself out.

“Oh my gosh,” Perfuma said, embracing her as soon as she was on her feet, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t even tell you what was happening! I’m such a bad girlfriend…”

“No, no, it’s okay. It’s okay. I knew… You told me, okay, I knew.”

“I shouldn’t have held you there,” Perfuma insisted, “you couldn’t get out if you wanted to…”

“I could get out,” Scorpia said, “trust me, I could get out. Unless you entrapped me entirely in vines or something, I think I can handle these.” Scorpia said while gently handling one of Perfuma’s noodly arms.

“Here,” Perfuma held out her hands, “spit it out in here.”

“But I… I already swallowed it.”

“Oh.”

“Was that a bad thing?”

“No!” Perfuma said, “not if you wanted to.”

“I wanted to, okay. The whole thing, I wanted to, it’s not… If I ever not want to do something I’ll let you know, okay. I… I appreciate the updates. I know it can be… a challenge, not exactly knowing what somebody else wants, but I’m not… I’m not going go obscure it for you, you know? Intentionally.”

Perfuma hugged her.

“Okay,” she said, “okay… Thank you.”

“Thank you?”

“For the, well, uh…”

“I know what you mean,” Scorpia said, “sometimes I just like flustering you sometimes, like you fluster me.”

“I do _not_ fluster you!” Perfuma said, realizing almost immediately that it wasn’t true. “I only…” she started laughing before she could justify herself, and Scorpia returned the hug, hugging and laughing at the same time.

They rejoined the others, jogging to try and catch up with them.

“And uh, where _were_ you guys?” Glimmer asked.

“I had a potty emergency!” Perfuma lied, “I asked Scorpia to stand guard for me. I figured I wouldn’t inconvenience anyone else by stopping everyone.”

“…Right…” Bow said skeptically, not wanting to argue, “well, let’s go.”

Perfuma held on to Scorpia’s claw this time too. She was still cooling down, but she didn’t care if she tented or not. This was worth it. This all was worth it.

* * *

After the show, Perfuma and Scorpia brought up the rear along with Frosta as the group walked back to their ride.

“So,” Frosta asked, “what’s going on with you two? Are you, like, _dating_ yet?”

“Dating!” Scorpia exclaimed.

“Oh no honey,” Perfuma said, “you’ve got it all wrong. Scorpia and I aren’t dating. We’re just… really good friends!”

“Don’t ‘honey’ me, lady,” Frosta said, “I’m on to you two… just when you least suspect it… bam! You won’t know _what_ hit you!”

“Uh…” Perfuma tried to supress a confused expression, shutting her open mouth.

“That’s… nice?” she said, pretending to know what the Princess of Snows was even talking about.

With that, Frosta eyed the two of them before booking it back to catch up with the others. Scorpia gave Perfuma a look.

“What?” Perfuma said, “You _know_ how hard she took it when Glimmer and Bow got together. I didn’t want to make things… too real for her too soon.”

“Well, we have to tell her _sometime._ ” Scorpia said, “we can’t hide it forever. I mean, really, if we can’t keep this from _Frosta_ how are we going to keep it from everyone else?”

“Do you… want to keep it from everyone else?”

“No.” Scorpia said, “I just… we’ve kinda been operating on the idea that…”

“We weren’t dating.”

“But we are. And I’m not ashamed of it.”

“And you shouldn’t be ashamed of it. I’m not ashamed of it either,” Perfuma said, “it’s just… the longer we keep it the harder it is to come clean.”

“Maybe we won’t have to come clean,” Scorpia said, “I mean, none of the others have ‘come clean’ exactly. Everybody just kinda… got the picture. Maybe the same thing’ll happen to us?”

“I hope so,” Perfuma said smiling, “and if you want to start,” she said mussing up her hair, “you can take my arm.”

Perfuma knocked her elbow into place and Scorpia gently put her pincer through it.

“Be glad to,” Scorpia said, walking back to the others.

* * *

Scorpia began packing almost as soon as she had unpacked. Her door was open as she was putting the last of her stuff away. She whistled to herself as she did—trial and error had worked well for her, for once; she’d managed to get a tune or two.

“Well, don’t you look happy” Catra said, standing in the doorway.

“Catra! Uh, hi? I didn’t see you there.”

“Well, I haven’t been here long so you’re not remiss on your hospitality, at least. Where you off to this time? Another vacation?”

“I’m, uh, I’m not going on vacation. I’m moving out—not that I haven’t felt at home! I just… commuting from Bright Moon isn’t exactly where I need to be right now.”

She and Perfuma still hadn’t told anyone about their relationship yet. Admittedly, no one else had come out and told everyone the heads-up before either. Still, she and Perfuma hadn’t acted all that ‘coupley’ in the presence of the group yet, and now they were leaving for a bit.

“Bunking with Perfuma, eh?”

Scorpia blushed.

“You know about that?”

“I know now,” Catra said, “Perfuma might be a tougher nut to crack, but you haven’t exactly been discreet, you know?”

“Nobody’s got a problem with it, do they? Or does nobody else know?”

“I’ve told Adora about my suspicions. Other than that you’re all good.”

Scorpia almost instantly began sweating, but she was facing away from Catra, so Scorpia assumed she didn’t notice.

“Adora’s not exactly… great at keeping secrets, is she? I kinda get the feeling she might… blurt it out?”

“I mean, she kept her crush on _me_ secret for almost our entire lives, so…”

Scorpia chuckled to herself. She could vividly recall Perfuma telling her about how her meetings with Adora and Catra were going.

_‘They know nothing,’ Perfuma had said, ‘they know absolutely nothing about relationships.’_

_‘I don’t know anything about relationships” Scorpia had admitted._

_Perfuma appeared not to have heard her._

_‘I don’t know whether to slap them or give them cuddles!’ She continued. ‘I don’t think they can read a signal to save their lives, sometimes. It’s a miracle the Heart didn’t blow up, honestly.’_

“Scorpia, are you still there?” Catra asked.

“Oh, sorry, I was, I was daydreaming. Yeah. Totally rude on my part. That was my bad.”

“S’alright,” Catra said, “wasn’t like I was talking or whatever. Anyway, you have our support. If you don’t want it spread around, well, I can’t really do anything at this point, but I’ll let Adora know to be discreet.”

“It’s okay, Catra,” Scorpia said, “You guys can say… whatever you want. Even if Adora doesn’t blab, I can’t exactly keep this a secret forever, right?”

“Right. Well, be seeing ya, okay?” Catra said as she left.

“Be seeing you…” Scorpia whispered, “…wildcat.”

She had resolved to make things right with Catra. And they were, for the most part. It wasn’t the same, but she didn’t want it to be the same. At the end of the day, though, it was still a bit awkward, at least when they were alone.

* * *

Another meeting of the former Princess Alliance had been called. Perfuma sat in the council room, the first one to arrive, her head resting lazily on the table. She had learned she needed to arrive early if she didn’t want to run the risk of Mermista stealing her spot.

_This isn’t about_ us _is it?_ She wondered, thinking about the night before, _we weren’t_ that _overt, were we?_

She didn’t have long to remain with her thoughts before Glimmer and the others arrived in a chatter, taking their places around the table.

“Well, operation ‘keep my aunt happy so she doesn’t visit’ has been a rousing success!” Glimmer said.

_Is that all?_ Perfuma thought, _well, I suppose I’ve had worse mornings…_

“…Aaand we’ve decided to throw Scorpia an impromptu going-away party!”

At that, Glimmer stood up in her chair and a cascade of sparkles flew up into the air all over the table. A group of guards came in, balloons in tow, holding a platter upon which a large cake sat surrounded by smaller tiny cupcakes.

“Wha…” Scorpia looked up at the magical confetti with awe, “how… how did you guys know I was leaving?”

“You know I own this place, right?” Glimmer said, “Let’s just say I heard it through the grapevine, that’s all.”

“Oh you guys,” Scorpia choked between sobs, “this is the best.”

“Is no one going to congratulate the happy couple?” Bow asked in a sing-songy voice as he handed out cake. He received dead silence.

“Bow!” Glimmer snapped in a hushed voice, “you weren’t supposed to tell anyone!”

“I’m sorry!” he said, passing a slice of cake to Perfuma while trying to avoid her gaze.

Perfuma, blushing, shot a look at Scorpia, who only shrugged her shoulders. Frosta, noticing them, looked at Scorpia, then Perfuma, and back at Scorpia.

“I knew it!” Frosta announced.

Perfuma hung her head, then stood up.

“Wha… no, you guys have it all wrong, we’re only…”

“Relax Flower Princess,” Mermista said, “we all figured it out. No need to hide or anything.”

“But how could you… we never told _anybody_ …”

“She admits it!” Mermista announced, “that’s all I need to hear…”

“Fine,” Perfuma sighed, “You guys are right. Scorpia and I… _are_ going out—”

A chorus of whoops followed. Scorpia, her mouth already full of cake, could only look down nervously.

“—But _how_ you happened to be right without _any_ evidence is beyond me!” Perfuma finished, sitting down in a huff.

“Don’t be sad,” Bow said, “we were all rooting for you.”

Perfuma, who declined to say anything, only looked down at her cake.

“Oh, by the way,” Entrapta said to Scorpia while she grabbed a cupcake, “those walls you asked for are finally ready!”

“What walls would those be?” Adora asked.

“Oh, they’re totally sound-proof!” Entrapta said, “on a building nobody outside should be able to hear anything going on inside. It allows for total privacy.”

“ ‘Total privacy’ ” Catra said, amused. She turned to Adora, “wonder why they’d need that…”

“Wha… no!” Scorpia said, her mouth still full, “They’re for the clinic!”

“ _Right_ ,” Catra said, “we believe you.”

“They _are!”_ Scorpia said in futility. Eventually she had to give up. She turned her attention to enjoying her first party in Bright Moon.

She resolved it wouldn’t be her last, even if she was moving away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry for this somewhat late chapter; there were some last minute revisions that totally slipped my mind!
> 
> The next chapter will be a little on the shorter side. I had to split one chapter into two, and the natural stopping point left the first half shorter than average and the latter half longer than average. It'll even itself out in the end!


	6. The Limits of Being Hospitable

They had decided to get their own place, and right beside the clinic seemed to be the best place. When they arrived, Entrapta’s walls were there as promised.

She had not skimped on variety; the walls, in fact, were being supplied at a rate that in all likelihood exceeded the demands the clinic had for them.

Scorpia thought about sending some of them back, once the material had been fitted to its intended use.

“You know,” Perfuma said, “we could use those in the bedroom.”

“What?” Scorpia asked, “I don’t think I can handle an object that big in—”

“Not ‘in the bedroom’ Scorpia,” Perfuma said with a palm to her head, “ _for_ the bedroom. To make sure nobody can, you know, hear us.”

“Oh.” Scorpia said, “that makes… much more sense.”

“I’d like your idea if they were smaller, though.”

“No no no!” Scorpia exclaimed, “not my idea!”

“I know,” Perfuma winked, “I’m teasing.”

“I think it’s a good idea, using them for the bedroom. We haven’t exactly built up a functioning… residence… yet. Maybe we think of something to make things more homey.”

“Well, plants always go a long way, and look!” Perfuma said unloading a box she had just brought with her today, “I finally got around to collecting those cacti!”

She held aloft a small, oval shaped cactus which had a purple flower blooming around its head.

“And this is just one of them! If you want we can look through them and we can keep the ones we like the most here. The rest of them are going in the greenhouse in Plumeria.”

“Aw,” Scorpia said, attempting to pet the cactus with her claw, “what should we name him?”

“Well, cacti change their sex every so often, so keep that in mind while picking a name.”

“Uh… How about ‘Courtenay,’ then? That can be used for boys and girls?”

Perfuma smiled.

“I learned they need lots of light and water only about once a week, so… I think Courtenay would like it best on this windowsill.” Perfuma said, placing the cactus on the sunniest window yet constructed.

“Well, they shouldn’t be lonely!” Scorpia said, “we need to find them a friend.”

“There’s lots of friends in this box!” Perfuma said, “let’s see if we can find a good match!”

* * *

Courtenay ended up with three other cacti for friends—Scorpia wanted more, but Perfuma insisted that was all that could fit on the ledge.

“We can bring them when we visit Plumeria, right?” Scorpia asked, “so they can see all their other friends?”

“Yes, I think we can manage that.” Perfuma said.

“Oh, and I was going to ask you, where did you get those windows for your greenhouse?”

“My greenhouse?”

“In Plumeria,” Scorpia said, “you know, the ones you can make… not see-through?”

“Oh those!” Perfuma exclaimed, “why?”

“Well, we have walls so no one can hear us, I thought we could have windows so that nobody can see us, you know, if we want to do… that naked thing again…”

“I’m waaay ahead of you there! I’ve been preparing those since we planned on moving in… together.”

For some reason Perfuma found it difficult to say the words. It had already been made real, in a way, by the simple fact that most of their friends knew by now. But now it had become real to _her._ She’d pre-emptively prepared for kinky domestic bliss with her girlfriend and nothing had tried to stop her, not even her own emotions.

* * *

“Hordak!” Scorpia exclaimed.

A knock at the door had disturbed an otherwise lazy day between them. Perfuma was puttering in the kitchen; Scorpia doing nothing at all—or more precisely, resolving to decide exactly what to do.

‘I’ll get it!’ Scorpia had said upon hearing the knock. She was expecting Entrapta with an update—there hadn’t been one in a while. Least of all did she suspect…

“Hordak,” she repeated in disbelief, “hi, um, how, how you doing?”

“I am fine.” He said in a quiet voice. “I trust you are well as well?”

“I’m good, you know, just lazing around, really, how, uh, how about you?”

“Entrapta sent me with an update. She would come herself, but she is quite… busy at the moment.”

Scorpia gave him a blank stare. She did not really think much of it, but Hordak hung his head in shame.

“…That was a lie.” He said, “forgive me. There _is_ an update, but I requested to go myself. Truth be told… I feel I have neglected… checking in on… my former Force Captains. I always knew you to be in… robust sprits, but I felt I had an obligation to make sure you were… doing well, as it were.”

His speech was pained, rehearsed, and coming from Hordak Scorpia could only assume it was genuine.

“Well, uh, come on in,” Scorpia said, “we’re not really busy at the moment.”

“Entrapta herself may be by later, as it were,” Hordak remarked, “in case you wished to speak to her directly.”

“Who is it?” Perfuma asked from the kitchen, poking her head out of the doorway. “Oh, Hordak.” She tried to say without hinting at her surprise.

“Hello, Princess Perfuma.” He said.

“Can I offer you anything?” Perfuma asked, “we don’t have a lot right now. Just moving in really, but I’m sure we have something…”

Hordak put up his hand.

“Need not worry. I do not require anything… at the moment. I came to inquire about Scorpia’s well-being since leaving the Horde.”

“Oh.” Perfuma said.

“And…” Hordak said, patting a box beside him, “to present you with this. You have already taken back possession of the Black Garnet—good, but there are some other effects I believe you are… entitled to.”

Hordak opened the box carefully, and with two hands, held aloft a heavy object.

“The crown of King Jirofta, your grandfather,” he said, handing the crown to Scorpia, who in turn, afraid to drop it, handed it to Perfuma, who set it down on the table next to them. It appeared to be made of a dark, almost black metal, encrusted with eight small red gems—two gems stood apart in the center of the crown, each flanked by three smaller ones on each side.

Scorpia did not know what to say.

“Uh, thank you. Wow, I uh… I didn’t even know this existed.”

“Just before he… conferred the Black Garnet on to me, your grandfather presented me this crown, the symbol of his sovereignty. I return it to you now.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t destroy it…”

“Prime often kept… tokens of the civilizations that submitted to him. I suppose I was compelled to do the same thing. There is also this…”

He raised a smaller box, with a checkered board on one face, and drawers on either end.

“What is it?” Scorpia asked.

“It is a game. Your grandfather called it ‘chaturanga.’ I believe a similar game is played among other Etherians called ‘chess.’ ”

“I know chess!” Scorpia announced. “I mean, we weren’t supposed to, but…”

“When I first met your grandfather,” Hordak explained, holding up, “he introduced me to this game, and we played a match using this very set. He won the first game, I the second, and on the third he conceded, though I admit I think he was not so lost as he thought…”

Scorpia held one of the pieces. It was a deep, clear red colour, made of some sort of glass. The other side’s pieces were made of dark grey glass, only partially transparent. The board itself had alternating red and black squares, although the red on these was brighter, to make it easier to read.

“…In any case, I received this set as a gift from him one year, I think. It was after the crown and the Garnet, at any rate. Sometimes my memories are foggier than I think they ought…”

“Thank you.” Scorpia said, “these mean a lot to me. Say, you fancy a game?”

“A game?” Hordak’s face became red, “no, I really shouldn’t. I’ve probably… taken up too much of your time already.”

“Oh nonsense!” Scorpia declared, “I know how to play, you know how to play, and neither of us have anywhere to be, so why not? You don’t mind, don’t you, babe?”

Perfuma looked at her slightly perplexed.

_Babe? That was new._

“No, I think it’s an excellent idea! Should I leave the room, or?”

“No, please, stay,” Scorpia said, “I need the moral support. My skills are a little rusty.” Scorpia quickly got off the couch and whispered into Perfuma’s ear. “Plus, if I win I kinda need a witness. Nobody’s gonna believe _I_ beat Hordak in a game of wits.”

“Uh huh,” Perfuma said, “well in that case…”

In an instant Perfuma conjured up rings of flowers upon both Scorpia and Hordak’s heads—red for Scorpia and black for Hordak.

“Is this really necessary?” Hordak asked, bemused.

“Absolutely!” Scorpia said.

Apparently not prepared to argue, Hordak set up the board.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t get some snacks?” Perfuma asked.

“Maybe if this goes on a while,” Scorpia said, “but I don’t think it will. I’m usually pretty impulsive with this game.”

“I think it’s only fair you have the first move,” he said.

“Alright,” Scorpia considered, uh pawn to d-four” Scorpia said.

“Knight to f-six,” said Hordak.

“Pawn to c-four”

“Pawn to g-six,” replied Hordak. 

Hordak smiled. _Perhaps this will be more fun than I had supposed,_ he thought.

***

Hours later the game was still ongoing. By this time Entrapta had arrived, and though originally enthusiastic in cheering Hordak on, she had begun to tire of the exercise.

Perfuma wasn’t in better sorts either. 

Her snacks sat on either side of the game table, uneaten, with Hordak and Scorpia too concentrated on the game to partake.

“Hmn,” Hordak said, moving his hand close to a piece, before retracting it again, and turning his gaze to another theatre.

“Do you think this’ll end any time soon?” Entrapta whispered to Perfuma.

“I’m… not sure.” She replied.

Hordak mulled over his options, scratching his chin, before finally committing to a move.

“King to g-seven” he announced.

Scorpia smirked.

_I have you now._

She’d pinned Hordak’s Knight with her dark-squared Bishop; if he moved it his Rook would be left hanging. He’d have to move the Rook off the open d-file, and hopefully he’d have no attack.

Hopefully.

“Rook f to d-one” said Scorpia.

“Bishop d-five” Hordak said, moving instantly.

_He’s not going to move that Rook, is he? Fine, she was just going to have to play aggressive._

“Rook d-two” she said.

Hordak cracked his knuckles and looked over to Entrapta.

 _It will be over soon,_ he thought to himself, _she’s blundered into a trap._

“Knight e-four” he said, attacking the newly-moved Rook.

Scorpia held her pincer to her face.

 _I guess that Knight wasn’t as pinned as I thought,_ she noted, _but now that he’s moved the Knight…_

“Bishop takes Rook on d-eight.”

“Knight takes Rook on d-two.” Said Hordak, knocking over the Rook with glee, removing it from the board with careful fingers.

“Bishop g-five” said Scorpia, retreating her Bishop to safety.

“Knight e-four,” said Hordak, not taking the Knight on f-three.

“Bishop e-three.”

Perfuma sighed.

 _This is going to take for-ever,_ she thought. She started to stretch her legs, but in an absent-minded daze she already started getting up.

“I’m going to get some fresh air,” she said to no one in particular. She received measured responses (if she received any at all) and quietly snuck out the door. Leaning against the outside of her home, she sighed again.

Outside it was getting dark, the occasional wind picking up breeze underneath the trees and rattling the leaves. Perfuma could feel every leaf as it hit the ground. Try as she might, she couldn’t use plant magic to will them back onto the trees.

_Is this what we’re doing now, really? Ignoring our problems, assuming this even is one?_

Having friends over was _supposed_ to be nice, but

Perfuma snuck back into the house, and the whole energy of the gathering had changed. Hordak, rather than sitting calmly, was standing, hunched over the board. Scorpia smirked, then turned to wink at Perfuma.

“My attack…” he said. “Yes, a draw, Force Captain, a draw!” Hordak announced. “Well played!”

Hordak offered a curt handshake which Scorpia accepted after a tiny hestiation.

“Hey, uh, hi” Scorpia said as Perfuma walked in, “guess what I did?”

“Hmn?”

“I drew Lord Hordak! Threefold repetition, his attacks had _nothing_ on me, can you believe it?”

“I don’t really play Chess so… I guess I do?”

“That was quite impressive,” Hordak said, “your grandfather used a similar opening when we first played, if my memory hasn’t failed me in this instance.”

“Oh wow, that’s kinda… that’s super freaky, right? I mean, given I never met the guy and—”

“Well, that was a lot of fun!” Perfuma announced suddenly, “but Scorpia and I have a thing! Right, a thing! I hope you two understand.”

Hordak looked over to Entrapta, lazing about with her datapad on the couch.

“Yes, I think it was about time we were going anyway,” Hordak said, “I am very sorry if I’ve imposed. I do not feel tired half so often as native Etherians, it seems, so I often fail to notice when it’s getting late.”

“Oh there’s no need to feel down!” Scorpia said, “I had a great time! You should come by again, I want to see if I can actually win the next round.”

Entrapta seemed to have been lulled out of a daze, springing off the couch with inhuman enthusiasm.

“Are we going? _Finally!_ I’ve had this idea for a modification for Emily for the past forty-five minutes and I’ve been _dying_ to try it out!”

Hordak smiled.

“Well, the lady has spoken and it seems I must return home at once.” He said, standing in the doorway. “I’ll see you in a few days for our next appointment,” he added to Perfuma.

“I’ll be there!” Perfuma said. “I’ll definitely be there!”

***

“I’m sorry about tonight,” Scorpia said, “you didn’t say anything but I know it made you uncomfortable.”

They were lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, too on edge, too exhausted to even put the effort into falling asleep.

“Huh? You don’t need to apologize,” Perfuma insisted. Had she been bothered? Yes. _Should_ she have let it bother her? She didn’t know. And she didn’t want to be unreasonable.

“No, I mean it.” Scorpia said, “I went overboard. Sometimes… sometimes I do that. And you need to let me apologize when I do, okay?”

“Okay.” Perfuma said, “I accept your apology. I _was_ annoyed. But not… not by you having fun.” _Or having fun with_ Hordak _of all people,_ she added silently, “it’s just… it was so sudden, and I wasn’t consulted…” she was rambling, “but if I have to listen to your apology you have to listen to mine too, okay?”

“Okay.”

Perfuma sat up in the bed, and Scorpia soon followed.

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring it up with you when it happened, okay? Instead, I let it fester the whole night and because of that something tiny could have blown up into something much… bigger. I try… not to hide things from you but I didn’t want to make _you_ uncomfortable with guests over.”

“I understand.” Scopia smiled. “Sometimes I’m not the best communicator. Somehow I thought that if I just ended the game soon enough I could explain everything and…”

“I know.” Perfuma giggled. “I _know._ It just starts off so innocent and…”

Perfuma started laughing about it.

“Oh gosh,” Perfuma said, “if this is a fight with you Scorpia I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself…”

Scorpia waiting for the laughing to die down. She was nervous. Perfuma let her head fall back deep into the pillows.

“Are we good?” Scorpia asked.

“I think we’re good.” Perfuma said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a few minor things.
> 
> I encourage any chess aficionados interested in Hordak & Scorpia's game to look into the PGN I've developed for the game: 
> 
> 1\. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 O-O 5. e5 Ne8 6. Nf3 d6 7. Bf4 c5 8. dxc5  
> Qa5 9. cxd6 exd6 10. exd6 Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 Qxc3+ 12. Bd2 Qa3 13. d7 Bxd7 14. Be2  
> Nc6 15. O-O Bf5 16. Qc1 Qxc1 17. Raxc1 Rd8 18. Be3 Nf6 19. c5 Be4 20. Bg5 Kg7  
> 21\. Rfd1 Bd5 22. Rd2 Ne4 23. Bxd8 Nxd2 24. Bg5 Ne4 25. Be3 b6. 
> 
> Scorpia is playing with the white pieces and Hordak the black. I couldn't think up an interesting endgame, but anybody willing to analyze the position might be able to find something interesting? I don't know.
> 
> Second thing: the next chapter includes some Catradora sexytimes. Because a She-Ra smut fic is not complete without those girls having a good time! (It also works into the story, trust me...)


	7. The Limits of Being Lost (and Found)

“It’s always just ‘are you okay Catra?’ or ‘do you need something Catra?’” Catra said, “she’s _still_ walking on eggshells and it’s driving me crazy!”

Perfuma sat in her office. Her regular meetings had started up again. Today, she was meeting with Catra, who had finally (after no small amount of light provocation) finally agreed to meet with her one-on-one.

“Have you considered she’s just trying to look out for you? Have you told her it makes you feel uncomfortable?” Perfuma asked. The answers themselves she already knew or could guess. The main thing was to keep Catra talking.

“I _know_ she’s trying to look out for me,” Catra said, “and it _doesn’t_ make me feel uncomfortable, not really, just… I wish she could actually feel _safe_ around me, for once, you know?”

“How do you know Adora doesn’t feel safe? Has she told you?”

“No, not… not exactly,” she admitted, “it’s just a feeling. She can have a real hard time opening up sometimes. I mean, the world was ending and _I_ was the one who broke radio silence on the whole ‘I’m into you’ front.”

“Have you ever asked Adora is she’s okay?”

“All the time! Sometimes I think she’s still waiting for me to fix myself to move things to the next level. So I’m frustrated, because it feels like my fault and it _is_ my fault and—”

“It’s not your fault Catra,” Perfuma said, “not _this_ anyway. Have you considered that _Adora_ is also afraid of screwing things up?”

“How could she screw it up?” Catra said, “she’s perfect. Well… mostly perfect. She can be a bit of a dunce sometimes, but how’s she supposed to ruin things with _me?_ ”

“I think trying to pry into Adora’s mind isn’t going to get us very far,” Perfuma said, “let’s focus back on you for a bit. Do you think there’s anything you could say when she asks you ‘are you okay?’ to let her know how you feel?”

“I mean, I want to, sometimes. ‘Yes, I’m okay; we’re alive, we’re together—for me that’s all the ‘okay’ there needs to be.’ But I’m afraid that if I say that it’ll come out angry and hurtful and she’ll be too afraid to talk to me about something that _actually_ matters.”

“And what _would_ actually matter? Do your feelings not matter?”

“They don’t matter as much to me as Adora’s does.” Catra admitted, “obviously _she_ cares a lot about them. I don’t mind if things aren’t perfect for me, but they should be perfect for her.”

“But if Adora knows things aren’t ‘perfect’ with you, don’t you think that will affect how she feels?”

“I guess.” Catra said, “I don’t know. There’s nothing I can do, is there? Nothing that’ll make it all okay?”

“I think focusing on ‘how can I make this perfect’ might not be the right approach. How about ‘what can I do to make her feel special today?’ Focusing on how happy you are, or how happy Adora is, isn’t going to make either of you happier. How many things can you name that make you happy?” Perfuma wanted to add ‘besides the obvious’ at the end, but she knew that being snippy wasn’t going to accomplish anything.

“Adora just… existing. Melog. Not feeling like the world or the Horde depends on what I do right. this. second. Not having my friends hate me.”

“Do you think ‘knowing your limits’ or ‘having friends’ might be a better way to phrase those last two?”

“I guess so.”

“It’s a short list, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“But if you had to name the things that _don’t_ make you happy, I imagine that would be quite a long list?”

“It would. Water, Horde Prime—”

“—I don’t want you to list them!” Perfuma interrupted, “the point I’m trying to make is that there is a lot of things that can make you sad, and the way you phrased the things that make you happy, I think it’s safe to say that thinking about the things that make us happy can also make us sad, hm?”

“Where are you going with this?”

“What I’m trying to say is that focusing on what could make us happier doesn’t often result in us _being_ happier. Adora always asking you if things are okay doesn’t make things okay—for you or for her. And ignoring your feelings to make Adora happy doesn’t make Adora happy.”

“So what should I do?”

“You’ve already said it would take a lot for you to hate Adora.”

“It’s basically impossible.”

“Right, and I think Adora feels the same way.”

“I mean, I hope so.”

“I think being honest with how you’re feeling isn’t going to hurt either of you right now.” Perfuma said. “Maybe not when Adora asks you, but volunteer how you’re feeling once and a while. Adora will have to work on what she has to work on, but I have a feeling that she won’t need to ask how you’re feeling if you let her know how you’re feeling when it’s comfortable for you to do that.”

“I think that makes… sense.” Catra said, glancing lazily at the time. “Oh crap, I gotta go!”

Perfuma sat up in her seat.

“Have we gone over time?” she asked, “shoot!”

Catra got up to leave, and Perfuma stood up as well.

“Remember, bring Adora with you next time!” Perfuma said.

“Right!” Catra exclaimed, heading for the door. “Wait,” she said, “about that whole ‘making Adora feel special thing?’ I was wondering… could I borrow some flowers?”

“Flowers?”

“I don’t know what kinds she likes,” Catra admitted, “I think maybe yellow ones? I don’t know, is that too much?”

“Oh no,” Perfuma said, “you’re not going to hear me undersell flowers! Just give me a second…”

In a flash Perfuma conjured a small bouquet of daisies and daffodils—not the most romantic of flowers, she admitted, but they were all she could put in mind when Catra said ‘yellow.’

“This is perfect,” Catra said, “thank you! And don’t worry, I’ll make sure to bring Adora next time too, okay?”

“Okay!” Perfuma said, “keep it up, Catra. It may not seem like it on your end, but I can tell you’re really improving, okay?”

Catra blushed.

“Uh, okay. See you later!”

With that Catra was gone and Perfuma breathed a sigh of relief.

Not that she had anything against Catra—not anymore at least—but she couldn’t help but feel worried for the two of them. No matter how much the others regaled her advice, Perfuma never had the utmost confidence in it. She wasn’t trained to be a therapist, not exactly. She always worried whether her advice would cause more harm than good. She hoped it wouldn’t—thankfully it hadn’t happened yet—but at the back of her mind…

She shook her head. It did no good to think about this all the time, she knew. She assumed a meditative position, and started working on her breathing.

* * *

“So, I don’t really know why I have to be here?” Adora said in an honest tone, “I thought our couple’s sessions were on Fridays?”

“They are,” Perfuma said, “but Catra brought something up last time that I think would be easy enough for us to solve.”

Adora looked at Catra and tried to hide a feeling of disappointment she felt for herself.

“Oh okay.”

Catra returned a glance.

“Don’t worry,” Catra said, “it’s nothing like that.”

Catra looked to Perfuma.

“C-could you explain it?” Catra asked her.

“No problem,” Perfuma said, directing her attention at Adora, “Catra’s let me know she wants to move to the ‘next stage’ in your relationship, but isn’t sure how she should go about doing that. Is that more or less correct, Catra?”

“More or less.” Catra repeated.

“Oh.” Adora said, “ _Oh._ I didn’t know we were going to… talk about that here.”

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to!” Catra said.

“No, I’m fine.” Adora said, “it’s just…”

She turned her attention to Perfuma.

“I’ve been trying to get things… rolling… myself. I’ve been asking Catra how she’s been doing and—”

“— _That’s_ how you make a move?” Catra expressed surprise.

“I mean, it’s not how I _want_ to make a move, it’s just… you seem so on edge sometimes, I don’t want to do anything if you feel uncomfortable, and I didn’t… well, I didn’t know if you even wanted that sort of thing or not or…”

Catra blinked.

“Of course I wanted that sort of thing!”

“Well I know that sometimes ‘I love you’ and kissing and… touching aren’t the same thing to some people,” Adora said.

“That’s right, Adora,” Perfuma added, “not everyone is the same.”

“They’re the same to _me!”_ Catra insisted.

“Oh.” Adora said, “well now I just feel stupid.”

Perfuma smiled. She had high hopes for these two and it seemed that most of their biggest hurdles were simply misunderstandings. She felt good, having helped them. If there was one dirty secret behind Perfuma’s practice, it was this: more than just helping other people, she did it to make herself feel good.

She thought of Scorpia. Now that they were living together, things had fallen into a more-or-less orderly routine. A routine Perfuma was perfectly happy with, and she hoped Scorpia was too. But she lamented, still lamented, that she couldn’t help Scorpia in _this_ way.

She never felt comfortable having Scorpia as a client, because that would mean they could never have a relationship. Ethically Perfuma couldn’t justify having a monopoly on Scorpia’s mental wellbeing. So even when she had a suspicion Scorpia was hurting in a way a friend (now lover) couldn’t deal with, she felt herself unable to do anything.

Maybe she could find a business partner so Scorpia would have someone to see, if she needed it? It _could_ work, but Perfuma didn’t know of anyone that she could ask, except maybe…

After Adora and Catra left (the rest of the session had been relatively banal, for which Perfuma was grateful), Perfuma headed for Bright Moon—her last appointment had been cancelled, so she felt reasonably okay closing the clinic for the afternoon.

 _Hopefully, this is a good idea,_ she thought, _if I’m wrong…_

She tucked that thought away for now, and headed for the door.

* * *

Catra rubbed around Adora’s clit, teasing just below with her index finger.

“Catra, Catra, please!”

“Okay,” Catra said in a sultry voice, “but don’t think I’m going easy on you.”

Adora said nothing, simply heaving, moaning in place as Catra inserted her index finger.

“Aah!” Adora exclaimed, pushing herself into Catra’s hand even as Catra started moving in and out.

“What do you say, guys?” Catra said to herself, “is She-Ra ready for two fingers?”

“No no no no no!” Adora exclaimed, “Catra…” she trailed off in a smaller voice. “I think I’m… okay with just one finger for now, okay?”

“Just one? Why? I’m not questioning you,” she hastened to add, “but I want to know. Unless it’s too personal, then I guess—”

“It’s not too personal,” Adora interrupted, “it’s just I’ve… never actually inserted anything before…”

“Oh.” Catra said. “So you’ve just done rubbing? Or grinding with a pillow?”

Adora shook her head.

“I haven’t masturbated at all,” Adora said.

“Wait, what?” Catra said, “Not even _after_ you left the Horde?”

“Nope.”

“Do you mind if I ask why not?” Catra said. Adora nodded.

“I don’t mind. I… I had the urges, you know, when I was at Bright Moon and even before. But every time I did I thought about you, and that made me sad. So, I tried to… not think of you when it happened, but that made me sad too.”

“Oh.” Catra looked down.

She had robbed Adora of happiness again, she knew it.

“What is it?” Adora asked, “why did you stop?”

“I’m sorry,” Catra said.

“It’s not your fault, you couldn’t have known.” Adora said.

“I guess I thought… maybe…” Catra trailed off, sitting away from Adora on the side of the bed, hunched over.

Adora leaned up and started rubbing her back.

“Please keep going,” Adora said softly.

“…” Catra hesitated.

“If you don’t keep going right now I’m gonna turn into She-Ra and kick your butt!”

“ ‘Butt’?” Catra laughed, “what are you, like six?”

“Are you going to keep going?”

“Yes,” Catra said, whining, “I’ll keep going.”

Adora smiled.

 _She can’t resist,_ Adora thought, happy with herself, and gave herself to pleasure.

* * *

“Micah?” Perfuma asked.

The former king was standing at attention by the window, looking wistfully at the glittering runestone in the distance.

“Princess Perfuma,” he said, turning around, “I can’t say I was expecting to see you.”

“And I wasn’t… expecting to visit!” Perfuma said brightly, “but I need to ask you something.”

“Anything, I’m all ears.”

“Well, it’s actually more of a request than a question.”

“I’m retired, you know. Glimmer needs some assistance, on occasion, but she’s usually… not in the mood to let me help. So I have plenty of time to help, depending on what you need.”

“It’s about Scorpia.”

“Hmn?”

“I’m wondering… I’m a bit too busy… to take on Scorpia as a client—at my clinic,” she added, “so I thought maybe if she wanted to talk to somebody I could find someone.”

“And you thought of me?”

“You and Scorpia seem to get along well,” Perfuma said, “and you offer everyone plenty of advice, so I thought maybe…”

“And what does Scorpia think about all this?”

“I haven’t actually asked her yet…”

“Well, I’ll tell you this. If anyone needs to talk, I’m all ears. But I think you should ask Scorpia about this first. If she’s open to the idea of getting help… I’ll see what I can do. I’m no therapist myself, but I know a lot of people— _used_ to know a lot of people, anyway. Hopefully they’re still around…”

“I didn’t mean to hamper your energy!” Perfuma added as Micah look down.

“My energy’s just fine, Princess Perfuma. Talk to your friend, then get back to me, alright?”

“Okay,” Perfuma said, “alright. I’ll see you later.”

“Can do.”

Perfuma stepped out of the room quietly.

 _'Friend'._ She thought to herself, _I guess some of them still don’t know._

She smiled, thinking of her girlfriend, and went back to her clinic.

* * *

“You know, I really do wish I had plant powers.” Scorpia said one day, out of the blue.

They had been flower-picking just outside their home by the clinic, Scorpia bent over a small stream looking at her reflection in the water.

“Huh?” Perfuma looked up at her.

“Okay, well, maybe not, you know _plant_ powers” she held up her claws as if her imagined gesture could help explain it, “but not _these_.”

She demonstrated with a quick shock of lightning to a log beside them. As a small fire ignited on the log, a pink squirrel ran up from underneath and shook a fist at Scorpia.

“Sorry!” Scorpia shouted as the squirrel put out the fire by stomping on it.

“See?” Scorpia said, “these powers aren’t actually useful for anything. Anything other than combat, anyway, and the war’s over.”

“Well, uh…” Perfuma wondered if this was the right time to bring it up.

“I found you a therapist,” Perfuma said.

“Hmn?”

“A therapist, you know, to talk to about problems like this. Or problems we’re having. Or anything, really, if you want.”

“Do you think I need one?” Scorpia asked, honestly, “Am I going crazy? Am I acting normally?”

“You’re acting fine, sweety,” Perfuma said, “I just… everyone else in our little circle can come to my clinic if they’re running into personal problems they don’t want everyone else knowing about. I was worried that if you were ever in the same situation, you wouldn’t have anyone to go to with that stuff.”

“Can I not… talk to you about it?” Scorpia looked like she was about to cry.

“Yes!” Perfuma exclaimed, wanting to grab and kiss her, “of course you can, I want you to, it’s just… if you ever feel there’s something you _really_ can’t talk to me about, something I’m doing, I want you to be able to go to somebody about it. That’s all.”

“Oh.” Scorpia said, “but what about you? Who do you go to when you have issues and stuff?”

Perfuma considered.

“I don’t… really go to anyone. I just kinda rely… on my own advice.” ‘Which I’m not really great at taking,’ she added in her head.

“Would you mind talking to me about it?” Scorpia asked, “I mean, I’m not a therapist, but—”

“Yes.”

Scorpia sat back, pincers digging in the dirt, looking up at the sun and the wind wisping through her hair.

“So, what do you want to talk about?” Scorpia asked, “anything… bother you about it?”

“About what?”

“About, you know, being a therapist? I’m not a professional, but… I can tell that you’re down sometimes, when you come back from work.”

“I mean, in general I _like_ what I do. It’s just that I feel responsible for them, and if anything were to happen…”

“You mean like a breakup?”

Perfuma looked up.

“Or worse. I told you, my advice isn’t always the best, and I’m not a professional either.”

“But nothing bad’s happened. So far as I know. And I’ve always found your advice, like, really helpful.”

“Well, I’m glad about that. But you can understand, right? Knowing you hold that much sway over what happens to your friends. And if things go wrong… it might be my fault, you know? What if no one would trust me again? And then there’s the secrets.”

“Secrets?”

“Well, obviously I can’t say what happens in a session, and I don’t want to either. But it’s the _knowing_ what somebody else doesn’t, sometimes, when we’re in a group.”

“And, uh, anything else?”

“Nothing I can think of for the moment,” Perfuma said, “at least not on the inside.”

“Inside?”

“Well, on the outside, I whacked my elbow on the door this morning, so I have a big bruise.”

“Oh no, is it serious? There’s no internal bleeding is there?”

“It’s just a bruise,” Perfuma said, holding up her left elbow so Scorpia could see, “but it would feel much better if somebody could kiss it better.”

“Kiss it…? Oh!”

Scorpia leaned closer, planting a gentle kiss on the tip of her elbow. She kissed it a second time, before moving up Perfuma’s arm, which Perfuma happily lifted. Scorpia kissed the underside of Perfuma’s arm, eliciting moans from her girlfriend, until she had nowhere to go but her armpit.

 _Will she?_ Thought Perfuma.

With only a little hesitation, Scorpia placed a fully-lipped kiss onto Perfuma’s armpit, her eyes closed. She opened them a second later, to see Perfuma’s reaction.

“Is this okay?” Scorpia asked.

“Yes, keep going.”

“I don’t know, we may need to take this inside.”

“Inside?”

“I don’t have my mittens with me.”

“Oh,” Perfuma said, standing up, “then by all means.” She said, gesturing to the house, a bold smile on her face. 

* * *

Mittens on, clothes off, Perfuma decided to lay wistfully on top of the covers of the bed.

“Do you mind if I take the lead this time?” Scorpia asked.

“No, of course not. Go ahead.”

Laying beside her, Scorpia couldn’t resist kissing those tiny breasts, and her pincer gradual shifted from Perfuma’s tummy to between her legs. Perfuma was already excited.

“Please,” she said, “touch it.”

“Like… like this?” Scorpia asked, hovering her opened claw lightly around Perfuma’s penis.

“Yes, like that.”

Gulping, Scorpia closed her claw gently, until contact was made.

“Ah!”

“Are you okay?” Scorpia asked.

“I’m so on edge,” Perfuma said, “it feels really good.”

Scorpia, only half-sure of what to do, began to lightly move her pincer up and down. She scooted up the bed, planting kisses on Perfuma’s torso as she went, until she placed her lips on one of Perfuma’s nipples again.

Perfuma gasped.

“Are these sensitive?” Scorpia asked, lifting her mouth off of skin.

“Yes,” Perfuma said, “they’ve always been.”

“Both of them?”

Perfuma only nodded. Scorpia kept stroking with her claw. She returned her mouth to a nipple, and, using her free arm, began to rub circles around the other one. Perfuma’s hips began to buckle. With both hands she clutched into the soft sheets of the bed.

“Scorpia, I’m going to—”

“It’s okay. Let it out. It’s fine.”

Moaning, Perfuma unconsciously planted both feet down, and, bum lifting off the bed, splattered cum all over her own chest and Scorpia’s right mitten.

“Oh no, oh oh…” Perfuma heaved, pressing her face into the nearest pillow, “…I’m going to have to wash your mittens…”

“That’s okay,” Scorpia said, “they can handle that, right?”

Perfuma sat up, not letting the sleepy part of her brain take hold.

“Yeah, they can,” she said, looking to Scorpia as she eagerly sat up in bed.

 _Holy crap,_ Perfuma realized, seeing beads of moisture flowing down Scorpia’s thighs. _She’s dripping._

“Come over here,” Perfuma said, “it looks like you need some help over there.”

“Oh, uh, okay.”

Scorpia sat down, and as she spread her legs, Perfuma crawled in between them, planting kisses on each thigh as she moved in.

“You don’t… you don’t have to do that.” Scorpia said, blushing.

“You might have to try to stop me,” Perfuma said, her mouth and nose mere inches from her partner’s mound. “Nope, you still don’t stink.”

“Don’t—don’t say…”

Lapping her tongue, Perfuma made contact. Scorpia’s head knocked back. Swirling her tongue inside, Perfuma’s mouth was full of Scorpia’s taste. Blowing a parting kiss, Perfuma lifted her head, and started teasing Scorpia’s clit with her fingers.

“This still okay?” Perfuma asked.

“Yes.”

“Are you about to cum?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to keep going when you do?”

“Yes.”

Scorpia’s hips buckled, pushing herself into Perfuma’s hand. She was, by now, a sweaty mess, but if either of them cared… they weren’t willing to show it.

Perfuma lifted her hand and replaced it with her mouth, cradling her lips around Scorpia’s clit without touching it, and sneakily slid a single finger inside of her as she did.

“I can feel it happening again!” Scorpia cried, “ah, ah, AH!”

Scorpia fell flat onto the bed. Perfuma craned over her.

“I take it you don’t want to keep going.”

“No… ah…” Scorpia puffed, “too, uh, too sensitive.”

Perfuma scooted up the bed and grabbed a pillow to place under Scorpia’s head.

“Can we just… stay like this for a while?” Scorpia asked.

“Sure thing.” Perfuma said. “Sure thing.”

* * *

The room was dark, ghastly green and sickly. Perfuma sat in a lump on the ground, looking at her knees. Looking up was… she couldn’t look up.

 _No._ she thought, _harmony has to… harmony couldn’t… harmony couldn’t be restored with_ this. _She needed to look up._

With every ounce of strength the muscles in her neck had, she forced herself to look up.

There she was.

Floating, menacing, that nauseous green look in her eye. Sparks of lighting bursting off carelessly in every direction.

“Scorpia, please—”

A bolt of electricity scattered past her, cutting her off in a cloud of smoke.

Dead silence, total silence.

That was how Perfuma knew this wasn’t her.

She stared down at her knees again. There had to be something she could do. _I have to get her out. Who knows what’s going on with her in there._

She imagined Scorpia screaming and unable to speak. Pleading and unable to be heard.

 _“I’m sorry,”_ she could almost hear Scorpia’s voice saying, unable to control her own body.

Or had she been totally sublimated, in deep sleep?

Even for her own sake, Perfuma hoped it was the latter. She hung her head and waited for the inevitable.

* * *

She woke up panting, a cold sweat wrapped around her like a film. She rubbed her eyes and looked beside her. Scorpia was still sleeping, thankfully.

She laid a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Perfuma whispered to herself, “I’m so sorry.”

She tried not thinking about it. Most of the time it worked. It was in the past, she didn’t have to worry about it. But in the dark of night, time fading as it did, she was brought back.

She hadn’t been able to do anything. She had tried and it didn’t help. Happenstance and Bow had done more than every fiber of her being had.

“And it was my fault it happened in the first place…” she croaked, tears now gently falling.

She gently rose from the bed, hoping she could still prevent Scorpia from waking up. She only got as far as the window until she was forced to hang onto the windowsill to stay upright.

“Hadn’t you suffered enough?” she said, nearly falling, her hand knocking down one of the cacti from off the windowsill. The crash woke Scorpia up with a jolt.

“Woah woah woah! What’s going on here?”

She could see spilled potting soil on the floor next to the bed, and beside it… Perfuma helplessly clutching the wall, moonlight streaming through her hair.

She was out of bed at once—she had no time to put on her mittens before rushing to Perfuma’s side. She set her pincers gently as she could onto her shoulders.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? Were you cut?”

Perfuma’s eyes were shut, but they opened with a daze.

“Oh,” Perfuma said, realizing only now where she was. “Yes… uh, yes, I’m alright.”

Scorpia looked at her puzzled.

“You’re not alright,” she said.

“No, I’m fine. Really,” Perfuma said standing up, “I just got up for a glass of water and I slipped, that’s all.”

“Then why were you crying?”

Perfuma rubbed the dried tears from her face.

“You can tell me,” Scorpia said, “I know I said I’m not a therapist but—”

She was cut off with a hug as Perfuma heaved into her chest. Scorpia stroked her hair.

“I was back,” Perfuma said, “back when you were chipped and I was… helpless.”

“Helpless?”

“I couldn’t help. Everyone else was able save each other and I couldn’t. What didn’t I do? What was it I didn’t do?”

“Hey hey hey,” Scorpia said, “just stay calm, okay. Just focus on me, alright? I’m here. I’m here and there’s nothing to worry about.”

Perfuma was now past the point of saying anything. Stoking her back, Scorpia started whispering in hushed tones.

“You weren’t weak. You’re stronger than me. Do you think I could handle seeing something like that and still be here to talk about it? The truth is… when I was chipped, most of the time it felt normal. Not ‘normal’ normal, but it felt like I was the one the one doing things. Like I was in control.

“Of course, I wasn’t, but that’s mind control for ya, am I right?

“The only time I knew things weren’t right… that something was definitely _wrong,_ was when I was looking at you. Inside I could tell. I didn’t want to be doing those things. Horde Prime’s voice would ask why. And I would remember… I would remember that I was being stupid to think it meant anything. And then things would seem normal again.”

“Is all that true?”

Scorpia nodded.

“Oh Scorpia,” Perfuma said, clutching fiercely as Scorpia moved back onto the bed.

“It’s okay, it’s over. I’m over it now.”

“Okay,” said Perfuma, forcing herself to take a breath, “okay.”

“It’s okay,” Scorpia said, “it’s okay.”

Perfuma’s heart stopped beating so fast. Her mind began to enter a lull.

 _Harmony,_ she thought to herself.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Don’t be sorry,” Scorpia said, “just stay here with me, okay.”

“Okay,” Perfuma said, smiling, “I’ll stay.”

In moments they were asleep, undisturbed by nightmares for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thanks for all your positive feedback! 
> 
> For once I don't think I have any housekeeping to do, so be on the outlook for spelling errors, I guess? This was a large chapter, so I hope nothing slipped past me, but you never know...


	8. The Limits of Being Limitless

Scorpia was awakened by the sun streaming through their windows. Nudged in-between her breast and her arm Perfuma slept silently.

_Wow._ Scorpia thought. _She_ never _sleeps in…_

She did not want to disturb the scene, but as the sun began to rise ever higher, there was little she could do to keep Perfuma asleep.

“Ah!” Perfuma said, waking up with a yawn, bedhead adorning her otherwise cheerful face. “Did I sleep in?”

“I think you did,” Scorpia said, pointing to the window.

“Oh shoot!” Perfuma said, jumping out of bed, “I have an appointment today.” She turned around to look at Scorpia. “And I didn’t even make you flowers this time.”

“You still have time,” Scorpia said, sitting up in bed.

“Okay, um…” Perfuma closed her eyes, “I’ve never done this while you were awake before.”

Scorpia closed her eyes, in the hope that would make it easier.

“Okay, I got it!” Perfuma said, and Scorpia could hear a magical whoosh tingle in her ears. “You can open your eyes now!”

Scorpia opened her eyes and stepped forward to look at her reflection in the window. A ring of white bulbs ran around her ears.

“White lilies, right?” Scorpia said, a pincer touching her head.

“You’re getting good at this!” Perfuma said, stepping closer. As she did, her toe hit a piece of smashed pottery. “I guess we should re-pot Joselyn, huh?”

“I can do it.” Scorpia said. “You need to get to your appointment, right? I guess we should just be thankful Ashley, Courtenay, and Alex didn’t get hurt, right?”

Perfuma looked at the little cactus lying on the floor.

“Right,” she said, “well, if you need any help before I go, I’ll be getting dressed, okay?”

“Got it.” Scorpia said.

* * *

Perfuma rushed into her office, hoping that, regardless of her delay, she had gotten here before her client had. She was disappointed, to say the least, when she found Hordak standing outside the door, looking pensively.

“Oh no, you haven’t been waiting a while, have you?” Perfuma asked.

“I have only been here a few moments,” he said, “you have no cause to worry about your… punctuality.”

Perfuma sighed in relief.

“Well, okay then, we better get started.”

“Yes, I think so.”

After unlocking the door, the two of them sat down on the cushions on the floor, across from each other, with Perfuma taking a meditative position. Her eyes closed, she began asking questions.

“Is there anything on your mind today, that you want to bring up? Or should we pick up from our last session?”

“I think the last session would do,” Hordak said, and so they begun.

* * *

“Entrapta is quite forward, for which I am very grateful, as otherwise I doubt I could navigate these Etherian courtship rituals.”

Their conversations often ended up turning to Entrapta—understandable, at least, to Perfuma anyway, given she was effectively his only friend.

“Do you want to understand them—the rituals—or do you think you wouldn’t be able to follow them?” Perfuma asked.

“I want…” Hordak waved his hand. “Truthfully, I do not know. For the moment, I wish only that Entrapta and I did not live in separate worlds.”

“What do you mean by ‘separate worlds?’”

“I know it makes the others… uncomfortable… when she brings me to these outings. What can I say of what they think of me? I understand it. But I can feel them talking behind _her_ back. She cares for her friends, and why shouldn’t she? But they are unfair to her when I’m around, and I honestly think she’s ignorant of it.”

“How does that make you feel?”

“I want to tell her,” Hordak said, “but then I do not. Perhaps she already knows and is hiding it for my comfort. Or perhaps it is better for her not to know. What can I do, change their opinions? The only way I can do that is change. And I am trying, but it is slow, and… the benefit sometimes eludes me.”

“So you’ve been avoiding these events, but I’ve been to them—Entrapta often wishes you were there.”

“Perhaps she simply makes for conversation?” Hordak offered. “I cannot know what she thinks, any more than what she tells me. Truth be told, I have no idea what she sees in me, of all people. But whatever happiness I can bring her with my benign presence seems better to me than the pain brought by my absence.”

“What if there was an exact copy of Entrapta, would you love her as much as the original?

“No,” Hordak said with realization, “no I would not.”

“But she wouldn’t have some of the bad memories that the regular Entrapta does.”

“She wouldn’t. But she wouldn’t have the good memories either. She would not be the same person who had that spark in her eyes when…”

“You said you only feel like this sometimes. What are you doing during the times you don’t feel like that?”

“When I am not left to my own thoughts. When I am useful. When I am not a useless burden.”

“Does that happen every time you try to take a break?”

“No, but… I do not know. These things… just happen, I suppose.” He sighed. “I do not live a good life. I _try_ , but sometimes it does not feel real. Sometimes it feels as though it is all made up, either to bring me joy or… make me miserable.”

“I’m not one to judge, but what we define as a good life can be… anything. It’s a variable. You can be anything you want to be.”

“Anything I want to be…” Hordak looked out the window. “I suppose it is possible. But I suppose ‘world conqueror’ is not on that list, is it?”

Perfuma looked at him blankly.

“Was that a joke?” Perfuma asked laughing.

“Have I got the intonation right?” Hordak asked, smiling slightly. “I still have not quite got the hand of these ‘jokes’.”

“No, that was a proper joke!” Perfuma said, “I just wasn’t expecting it from you, that’s all!”

“Oh. Then I suppose I have a better sense of it than I thought…”

Their time was almost up, and so Hordak got up to leave.

“I should thank you, Princess Perfuma, for helping me with this… I had not expected it would help or indeed… that I would make any progress it all but… perhaps I have.”

“I think you have. I’ll see you next week, right?”

“Of course,” Hordak said, taking his leave.

Perfuma smiled as he left, genuinely happy.

_We’re making progress,_ she thought, _which for Hordak, I guess is…_

No, she shuck the thought out of her head.

“Scorpia’s probably meeting with her right now,” she said out loud. She had finally gotten around to fulling her promise; setting up a meeting between Scorpia and another Scorpioni.

Of course, a part of her was nervous. Things not going well, or going _too_ well. But part of her was also excited. Scorpia was looking forward to this. Maybe she would find answers. Even if she didn’t… at least she’d know where _not_ to look.

Centering herself to the Earth, to the roots of the planet, she found a temporary peace.

_Things will work out for us. I know it._

* * *

Scorpia sat in the café, her tail shifting nervously, despite her overall excitement.

_Am I gonna come off too weird?_ She wondered.

For some reason she was anxious to make a good impression, even if she couldn’t pin down why. She didn’t have much more time to think about it, though. Another woman; claws, tail; all of it, had just walked into the café and stood overlooking Scorpia’s table. Scorpia looked up.

“Hey, uh, hi. I’m Scorpia,”

“Sasoria,” the woman returned, “nice to meet you! Perfuma’s told me a lot about you.”

Scorpia blushed. _Hopefully she hasn’t said too much…_

Scorpia sat in silence for a moment, her tail shifting awkwardly.

“Sorry!” she said, “this is just… I’ve never met another person… who looked like me… before.”

“That’s okay. I’m used to it. It seems a lot of us haven’t been in contact with anyone else.”

“Really?”

“I don’t really know the reason,” Sasoria said, “but it seems we’re all apart. But we are coming together, at least. I’m not going to pretend I’ve ‘found inner peace,’ but, knowing there’s someone else in the same boat, even if that’s the ‘displaced’ boat, isn’t so bad, I guess.”

“Do you do boating?” Scorpia asked, “I mean, I don’t mean to pry, but I like boats, and since you were talking about boats—metaphorically speaking, that is—I was just wondering.”

“You mean like, sailing? Not me, personally, but our group—”

“—There’s a group?”

Sasoria laughed.

“Yeah, we have a group. Just a support group. Couple days a month. No big commitment. Some of the guys are from Salineas, so of course they know all about it.”

“Huh, who knows.”

“To be honest you seem really well-adjusted,” Sasoria said, “how old were you when they took you?”

“I… don’t actually know. Seven? Eight? I was young, anyway. And my parents… were already gone.”

“I’m sorry to hear about that.”

“No, it’s okay. I… I hardly remember it. That’s kinda why I wanted to talk, you know. I didn’t really know how to be… whatever it is I am.”

“Well, I’m not going to be the one to tell you!” Sasoria laughed. “There’s nothing really special about it, I find. I mean, there is, but it’s more ‘different circumstances’ than ‘special,’ you know?”

“Yeah, I think I know.” Scorpia said, looking into her mug.

* * *

Scorpia waited outside the clinic, the curtain drawn. The walls were working perfectly; she couldn’t hear a thing. She put her back the wall, and looked down at the wildflowers in her hand.

_My wildflower._ She thought.

It wasn’t a nickname they’d talked about. It was just something that popped up into Scorpia’s head from time-to-time. Maybe it was something she would keep to herself, or maybe it wasn’t. She hadn’t thought she’d get to a point where it was even a possibility, and yet…

…yet here she was. Standing outside a door, waiting, only…

She wasn’t waiting for something to happen. She was waiting only on—

“Scorpia?” Perfuma’s head poked out of the curtain. Scorpia jumped.

“Oh jeez! Man, I uh, got lost in my train of thought there.”

“That’s okay. I’m done for the day.”

“You are?”

“Yep, so it’s just you and me for now.”

They decided to go on a walk. Through the Whispering Wood, yes, but not too deep, not too far, and not straying off the beaten path. The evening was taking a long time getting settled in.

“So I was talking with Sasoria—” Scorpia began.

“Did you like her?”

“Oh yeah, she’s great. Kinda prods a little, you know, but whatever. We had an okay time. She gave me the card for her support group and everything.”

“That’s good!”

“Yeah, it is, but… I don’t think I’m going to go.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not that it isn’t for me—I mean it isn’t, but, you know what I mean—she said I was pretty well-adjusted compared to… some of the others who had to leave. Did you know we used to live in the Crimson Waste? No wonder I felt pretty good there?”

“No, I, I didn’t know that.”

“Well, now you do! Anyway, if they’re like her I’m sure they’re pretty friendly but… hey, they got their own thing going on, and I got my own thing going on and… I mean, to be honest I feel I’ve got more in common with the Princess Squad or Alliance or whatever we’re called than this clique.”

“Wow, really? I never… thought it would go that way.”

“I know, right? But I’m glad I met with her this one time, because we were talking about a whole bunch of things. Like population, sustainability; you know apparently there aren’t very many of us out there, at least so far as she could tell. She asked me if I was going to have any kids. I told her I was into gals and I didn’t think that that would happen, but, we’ll see.”

“ ‘We’ll see.’ Well, do you want to have kids?”

“Like, in theory?”

Perfuma nodded.

“Well, in theory they’re great! I mean, playing with Frosta is like nine tenths of the work I do when I’m at Bright Moon. And Catra’s always said I was very… motherly…” Scorpia paused, “you know that probably should have been my first clue that relationship wasn’t going to work out.”

Perfuma laughed.

“You know, uh, I’m kinda glad that relationship didn’t work out, you know?” Perfuma said.

“Yeah, I know,” Scorpia said. “But I mean, I don’t _have_ to have kids or anything. It’s not a huge deal. Honestly, I never thought it would happen, so it’s not like I’m missing out or anything.”

Scorpia looked at her with a realization.

“Unless things are any different with you,” Scorpia added, “you know with… …and everything.”

Perfuma laughed.

“Oh, you mean if _I_ could do it?”

Scorpia nodded.

“Well, the way things stand right now, I can’t get you pregnant the usual way. The treatments that gave me this flawless physique make it so that I don’t produce the necessary substances for that to happen. But…” A light went off in Perfuma’s head, “you know, I’d almost forgotten! Before I… transitioned, I had some of it frozen. I don’t really know why I did at the time, it was a ‘just in case’ sort of thing. But I don’t mind if you want to try it! I’d be good to actually put it to some use…”

“Did you just offer to make me a mommy?” Scorpia said with a knowing grin. Perfuma blushed.

“Yes,” Perfuma said, “I guess I did. You don’t have to try it if you don’t want to… It’s just… Oh, It would be such a shame, Scorpia. You really want to be a mom, there are so few Scorpioni left, and… there should really be more people like Scorpia in the world, that’s all… And what I’ve got here is just sitting here—I don’t think I’d really use it for anything else, so…”

Was Perfuma presuming too much? There was always adoption, anyway. Maybe Scorpia would be more comfortable with that? Pregancy wasn’t exactly a walk in the park and… even if Scorpia wanted to do it, she didn’t have to do with _her_ , now did she?

“I’ll do it!” Scorpia said.

* * *

The turkey-baster method (which they had decided to use in lieu of methods that required them to let the others know of their intentions) turned out to be a success, against the odds. Perfuma had enough magically frozen away for them to try a few times, and although the first attempt hadn’t worked, the second seemed to have taken. Within a few months, Scorpia was showing.

“Can’t really hide this, now can we?” Scorpia said.

“No, I guess not.”

“Good thing I don’t want to.”

“Maybe we should get things checked out,” Perfuma said, “so that we know everything’s going okay.”

“You mean Entrapta,” Scorpia said.

“I didn’t say Entrapta.” Perfuma said defensively.

“But I mean, if we need science help who else are we going to turn to, huh? _Hordak?_ Bow? Between the three of them Entrapta’s probably the most dispassionate observer.”

Perfuma, remembering Entrapta’s occasionally… zany shenanigans, had only one thing to say.

“You’re right. Let’s go ask Entrapta.”

* * *

“So what is it you guys want me to do again?” Entrapta asked.

“Um,” Perfuma lifted her finger to begin but found there wasn’t any easy way to break this.

“I’m pregnant,” Scorpia said, “and we want to see inside to make sure things are going… smoothy.”

“So, like an X-Ray?”

“No no no!” Perfuma waved her hands, “sort of like that, yes, but without anything that could potentially hurt the baby.”

“Oh, right, got it.” Entrapta said, bounding off to what looked to Perfuma like a box of junk. “Let’s see here. I may be able to cook up something… How long can you guys wait?”

“No more than four months,” Scorpia said.

“Oh it won’t be _nearly_ that long. If I’m lucky I should have something by tonight. If not… maybe tomorrow? You good to wait here?”

“I guess?” Scorpia shrugged.

“Great! I’ll have Hordak bring out food or something.” Entrapta said, before returning to her task. Scorpia turned to Perfuma.

“Hordak entertains now?” Scorpia whispered.

Perfuma shrugged.

It turned out they didn’t have to wait long before Entrapta figured out a working impromptu ultrasound.

“Okay, I just need you to sit here for now.” Entrapta said, patting a seat for Scorpia with her hair. “And I’ll get this ready…”

After applying the gel to Scorpia’s bump, Entrapta placed a small senser on top of it. A grainy monitor jumped to life beside them, with Perfuma craning her head to get a look at it.

“It looks like a girl!” said Entrapta.

“A girl?” Perfuma asked.

“Yep. And look here, she’s got a tail too. Isn’t that _fascinating?_ And she can kick too. See, she just did it!”

“Don’t hurt yourself in there okay?” Scorpia said, looking down at her belly.

“A tail…” Perfuma said to herself, “Scorpia, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Sure,” said Scorpia as Entrapta left the room, “what did you want to talk about?”

“A tail? Is that going… is that going to work like yours?”

“Yep!” Scorpia said proudly, “at least I think so. There’s no reason for it not to, right?”

“Oh Scorpia, I’m so sorry having given you such a handful. Can you imagine a two-year old with a tail like that? Oh, I should have known about this. And what if she has magic? Plant powers? Electrical powers? I didn’t warn you… I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, hey, relax,” said Scorpia, “I’m not unhappy about any of this! To be honest, I’m kinda relieved. If she’s like me… at least I’ll know how to prepare her for the world.”

“And who knows, maybe she won’t be connected to either the Black Garnet or your Runestone?”

Perfuma could only hope. The thoughts of an electric, vine-wielding scorpion flower-princess whirled through Perfuma’s mind. Were _she_ not the one who had to deal with it, it _might_ be an appealing image. She would have to wait and see. 

* * *

“Do you know who called this meeting?” Adora asked, sitting in the council chambers of Bright Moon.

“I didn’t call it,” Glimmer said. “I guess my dad must have?”

“Somebody wake me up when stuff happens,” Mermista said, letting her head fall to the table. The second she did, the doors burst open, Scorpia and Perfuma standing before the (only mildly enthusiastic) congregation with big smiles.

“You guys aren’t getting married, are you?” Catra asked, looking up.

Scorpia looked at her confused.

“I don’t… think so,” she said, looking at Perfuma, who returned an equally lost look, “but we do have something to announce!”

“We’re gonna be having a baby!!” Perfuma exclaimed, holding up her hands.

“WhAt!?” Catra exclaimed.

The others looked at each other in various states of shock or confusion.

“So are you guys adopting, or…?” asked Bow.

“Okay, technically, Scorpia’s having the baby” Perfuma said, gently rubbing Scorpia’s tummy, “but I’m in this too!”

“You guys used a donor, right?” Adora asked.

“Right,” Perfuma chuckled, “a donor…”

Perfuma tried very hard to supress her smile as the others tried to figure out the situation.

“Well congratulations!” Glimmer said, “I’ll need to come up with some celebration!”

“Like a baby shower?” Bow asked.

“What’s a baby shower?” Adora asked.

“It’s like a party, but you give gifts to a new mum,” Glimmer explained.

“Oh.” Adora said, “then why is it called a ‘shower’?”

Glimmer only shrugged. Catra began to laugh at Adora’s confused expression. Perfuma reached for Scorpia’s pincer and held onto it tightly.

* * *

The announcement meeting had ended only a few moments before. Scorpia and Perfuma had gone home, as had Catra and Adora. By now Bow and Glimmer were the only ones left. Silently, Bow attempted to leave the room, only for a voice to cry out from behind him.

“Bowwwww! come here!”

“What is it? Is something wrong?” Bow said as Glimmer dragged him by the hem of his shirt down the hall.

“We are going to _have_ to get more serious about this,” said Glimmer, “If you told me a year ago that _Scorpia_ would pregnant before us, I wouldn’t believe you! With twins even! We need an heir, Bow! I… kinda promised my parents grandkids…”

“Relax,” said Bow, “things are going to take care of themselves, I know it.”

“You better be right, you know.”

“I’ll be right, okay? When have I ever been wrong?”

“Do you really want me to list the number of times you’ve been wrong.”

Bow gulped.

“No,” he said, hanging his head. “But just, trust me on this.”

“Okay, I’ll trust you.” Glimmer said, “anyway, Scorpia was showing pretty hard. I wonder how long it’ll be for them, you know? Maybe Scorpioni have fast metabolisms?”

“For some reason… I don’t think it’ll be very long.”

* * *

_Epilogue: A Few Years Later_

“So, If I have two mommies, and Scorpia-mom had two mommies, and Perfuma-mom had one mommy… That means I have like, five mommies! I have more mommies than anyone else!”

“That’s right, Flora,” Perfuma said, “but keep in mind having more mommies doesn’t make you better or worse than anybody else, okay?”

Flora looked to Scorpia, who sat lounging in the sun beside them. They were having a picnic in an open field in Plumeria, surrounded by green grass and wildflowers. Scorpia was wearing a ring of roses around her head.

“Do you think that’s true?” Flora asked Scorpia.

“Hmn? Oh yeah, for sure, having more moms is great.”

“Scorpia!” Perfuma shot. Scorpia only laughed, and Flora laughed along with her.

“Can we invite cousin Finn over?” Flora asked. “They’re fun!”

“We’ll see,” Perfuma asked. “I’ll ask aunt Adora and aunt Catra. I’m sure they’ll let Finn come over.”

“They will?”

Perfuma nodded.

“Don’t worry little flower bud,” Scorpia said, “we’re not gonna let you go lonely, right?”

“Right!” Perfuma said.

“Well… can we play a game right now?” Flora asked.

“Of course,” Scorpia said, getting up so she could lie next to her, “what game do you want to play?”

“Um…”

Thankfully for Perfuma if Flora had any magical powers—via Runestone or otherwise—they had yet to manifest. The tail, however, she was just glad she hadn’t been paralyzed _too_ badly when stings came in her direction. Scorpia had been pretty good about teaching her tail-safety, but accidents did happen…

“I win again!” Flora exclaimed.

“Scorpia, you shouldn’t win let her win all the time.”

“I didn’t let her win,” Scorpia said. “She actually beat me.”

“Uh huh.” Perfuma said, crossing her arms.

“It’s true! Besides, you let me win once.”

“Hmn? What do you mean by that?”

“You agreed to go out with me, remember?”

Perfuma blushed.

“That wasn’t… that wasn’t a game.”

“Well, if it was, I think we won.”

“Yeah.” Perfuma agreed. “I think we did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank everyone who's kept up with this so far! It being a first long-form fic for me, I'm thankful for everyone who went on this journey with me!
> 
> There isn't much I have left to say; I don't know if/when my next fic will be. I'm not sure if I have another one in me ATM, but we'll have to see.
> 
> "Flora," of course, refers to this absolute unit who is not my original creation, but I wish she was: https://twitter.com/raegeii/status/1263920428071841792


End file.
